Ivory Coast and Cameroon Advance as AFCON Group Stage Concludes

The defending champions of the Africa Cup of Nations, Ivory Coast, showcased their resilience by overcoming a two-goal deficit to claim a 3-2 victory over Gabon in their final Group F match in Marrakesh on Wednesday. This win allowed them to qualify as group winners, setting the stage for a round of 16 encounter with Burkina Faso.

In Agadir, Christian Kofane’s decisive goal in the second half led Cameroon to a comeback victory against Mozambique, finishing 2-1. Cameroon now prepares to face South Africa in the next round, while Mozambique will take on Nigeria after securing a third-place finish.

In Marrakesh, Gabon, having already been eliminated after consecutive defeats in their earlier matches, surprisingly surged to a 2-0 lead against Ivory Coast within the first 21 minutes. Veteran Guélor Kanga capitalized on a fumbled shot by goalkeeper Alban Lafont in the 11th minute, and Denis Bouanga doubled the lead shortly after with a counterattack.

However, the Ivorians, demonstrating the same tenacity that earned them their championship title in 2024, fought back. They reduced the deficit just before halftime through Jean-Philippe Krasso, thanks to a well-coordinated play involving Jean Michaël Seri and Wilfried Zaha.

Evan Guessand equalized in the 84th minute, extinguishing Gabon’s hopes of revenge after the Elephants’ previous World Cup qualifying success over them. Bazoumana Touré’s late header in the 91st minute sealed the victory for Ivory Coast, ensuring their top position in the group. This result extends their competitive unbeaten streak to 14 matches, as they aim for their fourth continental title.

Ivory Coast’s next challenge will be against their neighbors Burkina Faso in Marrakesh on January 6, while Gabon exits the tournament as one of only three teams without a point from their three group matches.

In Agadir, Cameroon found themselves trailing early when Geny Catamo scored a stunning long-range effort in the 23rd minute. However, they quickly levelled the score when Nené inadvertently turned the ball into his own net after Frank Magri’s shot rebounded off the post. Kofane secured the win for Cameroon with a spectacular long-range strike that rattled off the crossbar and crossed the goal line ten minutes into the second half.

With seven points amassed from three group matches, Cameroon has successfully navigated a challenging group, especially following the departure of former head coach Marc Brys just weeks prior to the tournament. The team now looks forward to their match against South Africa in Rabat on January 4.

Earlier in the day, Algeria capped off an impressive group stage with a 3-1 victory over Equatorial Guinea in Rabat. Confirmed as group winners before the match, the Fennecs became one of the only teams in the tournament to maintain a perfect record, with early goals from Zineddine Belaïd, Farès Chaïbi, and Ibrahim Maza securing their lead. Emilio Nsue scored a consolation goal for Equatorial Guinea, but they could not mount a comeback against Algeria’s much-altered lineup.

Post-match, Algeria head coach Vladimir Petkovic expressed optimism about the team’s future, highlighting the presence of seven players born after 2000.

In Casablanca, a crucial encounter between Sudan and Burkina Faso saw the latter triumph 2-0, thanks to goals from Lassina Traoré and Arsène Kouassi. Both teams advanced, with Burkina Faso now facing Ivory Coast and Sudan set to meet Senegal in Tangier on January 3.

“We must continue our work, move forward, and inscribe a golden star on the Burkina Faso national team jersey,” stated head coach Brama Toure in his post-match comments, emphasizing his players’ determination to achieve success in this edition of the Nations Cup.

Algeria will face the Democratic Republic of Congo in Rabat on January 6, in what promises to be one of the standout fixtures of the next round.