Manchester United winger Amad Diallo kicked off Ivory Coast’s Africa Cup of Nations title defense with a 1-0 win over Mozambique in Marrakech on Wednesday.
Diallo scored 49 minutes into the Group F match, giving the three-time champions an overwhelming advantage against opponents ranked 60th lower in the world.
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Ivory Coast will face Cameroon and Gabon in the other group stages as they aim to become the first country to successfully defend the African football title since Egypt in 2010.
It thwarted Mozambique’s long-held dream of Africa Cup success – they have recorded four draws and 12 defeats since their debut in 1986.
Winger Elias ‘Domingues’ Pelembe came on from the Mozambique bench on 67 minutes at the age of 42, making him the second oldest player to feature in an African Cup of Nations after 44-year-old Egyptian goalkeeper Essam El Hadary.
Ivorian teenager Jan Diomande was the first to threaten, dribbling past several opponents before sliding into the penalty area as he prepared to shoot.
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The 19-year-old, who scored a Bundesliga hat-trick for RB Leipzig this month, suddenly fell and required medical treatment, immediately alerting the defending champions.
In the middle of the first half, Diallo got a free kick outside the penalty area, but he shot the ball into the defensive wall.
Diomande, who was wearing a protective mask, then almost broke the deadlock with a curling cross, but the ball was saved by goalkeeper Ernan Siluane.
Defender Ghislaine Konan, a survivor of the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations winning side, squandered a golden opportunity to give Ivory Coast the lead when he fired wide from close range.
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The Elephants had a better chance in first-half stoppage time when captain Franck Kessie headed in from close range, only for the ball to be caught by the well-positioned Siluane.
Rain has fallen at a number of matches across the continent since the start of Sunday’s games, with teams receiving rain after half-time.
Diallo ended Mozambique’s brave and well-organized resistance early in the second half, firing from inside the box past Siluan after a cross.
An hour into the game, Kessie had a chance to extend the lead, but his header went just wide.
Côte d’Ivoire was not satisfied with the slim lead and launched attacks many times, which greatly limited Mozambique’s chances of equalizing the score.
DL/AS
