AFCON 2025: Diallo Fires Côte d’Ivoire to Winning Start as Algeria and Burkina Faso Shine

Rabat – Defending champions Côte d’Ivoire, former winners Algeria, and Burkina Faso all began their TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 campaigns on a winning note on Wednesday, as the tournament’s opening round delivered moments of control, class and late drama.

Côte d’Ivoire 1–0 Mozambique

Holders Côte d’Ivoire kicked off their title defence with a composed 1–0 victory over Mozambique at the Marrakech Stadium, thanks to a decisive second-half strike from Amad Diallo.

The Elephants dominated possession from the opening whistle but found Mozambique stubborn and well organised. Franck Kessié and Wilfried Zaha were central to Côte d’Ivoire’s attacking play, though clear-cut chances were scarce in the first half. Kessié saw a header saved, while Ghislain Konan fired narrowly wide as Mozambique soaked up pressure and looked to counter through Geny Catamo.

The breakthrough arrived four minutes after the restart. Kessié rose highest to meet a cross and nodded the ball into the path of Diallo, who calmly guided a low finish past the goalkeeper to give the champions the lead.

The goal settled the Ivorians, who controlled the remainder of the contest without adding to their tally. Vakoun Bayo went close to doubling the advantage, while Mozambique rarely troubled goalkeeper Yahia Fofana.

The result places Côte d’Ivoire top of Group F after the opening round, while Mozambique leave encouraged by their resistance but still in search of a maiden AFCON finals victory.

“I am very proud of myself. I have been waiting for this moment for a long time,” Diallo said after the match. “Wearing my country’s jersey is an immense pride; it’s a dream come true. We deserved to win by a bigger margin, but we will take the victory and focus on the next tough game.”

Mozambique coach Chiquinho Conde admitted fine margins proved costly. “We expected difficulties because of Côte d’Ivoire’s individual quality,” he said. “Small details made the difference, especially in transitions and marking inside the box.”

Côte d’Ivoire head coach Émerse Faé praised his side’s unity but called for sharper execution. “We faced a good team and kept a clean sheet,” he noted. “The mindset and solidarity were strong, but we must improve our decision-making and finishing.”

Algeria 3–0 Sudan

Algeria made a powerful statement in Group E with a commanding 3–0 win over Sudan at the Moulay Hassan Stadium in Rabat.

The 2019 champions struck early, with captain Riyad Mahrez opening the scoring just two minutes in, finishing calmly after a well-timed pass from Hicham Boudaoui. Sudan’s task became harder when Salah El-Din Adel was sent off in the 39th minute after picking up a second yellow card.

Algeria took full control after the break. Mahrez doubled the lead in the 61st minute following a fine assist from Mohamed Amine Amoura, before substitute Ibrahim Maza sealed the victory late on after being set up by Baghdad Bounedjah.

“Being Man of the Match is a bonus,” Mahrez said. “The most important thing was the victory. We showed collective strength, and we hope to keep going.”

Sudan coach Kwesi Appiah conceded his side were second best. “We were up against a stronger team with quality in every department,” he said. “We will try to bounce back in the next match.”

Burkina Faso 2–1 Equatorial Guinea

Burkina Faso delivered the drama of the day, scoring twice in stoppage time to stun Equatorial Guinea 2–1 at the Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca.

The match was evenly balanced in the first half before Equatorial Guinea were reduced to ten men early in the second period when Basilo Ndung received a straight red card for a dangerous challenge.

Despite their numerical advantage, Burkina Faso struggled to break through and even had a goal by Lassina Traoré ruled out after a VAR review. Against the run of play, Equatorial Guinea struck in the 85th minute when substitute Marvin Aniebo headed home from a corner to give his side a shock lead.

Refusing to surrender, the Stallions poured forward and were rewarded in the fifth minute of added time when György Menongo equalised. Moments later, Edmond Tapsoba powered in the winner in the eighth minute of stoppage time, completing a remarkable turnaround.

“We never gave up,” said Tapsoba, the TotalEnergies Man of the Match. “This victory is the result of collective work, and I dedicate it to the whole team.”

Equatorial Guinea coach Juan Micha lamented his side’s late collapse. “In less than five minutes, we lost the match,” he said. “Physically, we were good, but mentally, we lost focus.”

Burkina Faso head coach Brama Traoré hailed his team’s resilience. “This was not an easy victory,” he said. “We pushed with all our strength at the end, and we are very happy to start the tournament this way.”