- Ivory Coast beat Guinea Bissau 2-0
- Al Nasr’s Seko Fofana was named man of the match
- Nigeria play Equatorial Guinea in the other group match
Ivory Coast began their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign on a perfect footing, beating Guinea Bissau 2-0 at the Stade Olympique Alassane Ouattara in Abidjan. Seko Fofana and Jean-Philippe Krasso scored in either half to give the host nation three points in their opening match of Group A.
Head coach Jean Louis Gasset was delighted with the win for the hosts but notes there is still more work to do.
“We were playing infront of the home fans and it was important for us to give them something to celebrate on the first day. It was a good performance and winning on day one is always great for any team,” the tactician said.
He added; “But the work is not yet done. This is just game one and we have two more to go in the group. We have to maintain the focus and keep winning to get to the round of 16. We are going a match at a time.”
Fofana was named man of the match with his imperious performance in midfield.
Ivory Coast fans turn up
Ivory Coast plauers celebrate their win over Guinea Bissau. PHOTO/CAF
“I want to thank the public for coming out in large numbers and pushing us to victory. For us, we keep working,” he said.
Ivory Coast were Buoyed on by a full to capacity stadium after a beautiful opening ceremony in the capital, and Les Elephants got straight into business and they opened the scoring just four minutes into the match, Al Nasr midfielder Fofana scoring with a blinder of a long range shot on the turn from a Frank Kessie pass.
Ivory Coast continued to dominate and Fofana almost made it 2-0 10 minutes to the break when he took a shot from range once again, but this time his effort was denied by the upright.
In the second half, Ivory Coast continued their dominance and despite some blips where Guinea Bissau’s Djurtus almost pounced, they were able to secure the victory in the 58th minute when substitute Jean-Philippe Krasso acrobatically fired home after great work from Jonathan Bamba.
With a 2-0 advantage, The Djurtus had a mountain to climb but the home side ensured their backline was guarded with military precision to ensure three points and an early lead in Group A.
Meanwhile, Group A action continues on Sunday with Nigeria taking on Equatorial Guinea in the second match.
Super Eagles keen to start with a win
Nigeria players during a training session. PHOTO/NFF
The Super Eagles, three-time African Champions are seeking title number four and want to do better than the last showpiece in 2021 when they were eliminated in the round of 16.
Head coach Jose Peseiro knows what awaits them is a tough match but reckons his side has what it takes to set off to a winning start.
“We have prepared well and we know we will face a tough team. There are no longer weak opponents in Africa. Our focus is to start well with a win,” said the tactician.
His sentiments are shared by skipper Ahmed Musa, one of the longest serving members of the team.
“Everyone is ready and the determination is there to win. We are here to compete and give our best,” Musa said.
Nigeria didn’t have the best pre-tournament camps and their last friendly match was a 2-0 defeat to Guinea in their camp in Abu Dhabi. But Peseiro is not worried.
“We were trying out new systems and as much as it is always important to win, build up matches are not just about that. It is better to do mistakes in build up than during the AFCON,” said the coach.
Nigeria have to do without several of their injured stars with Victor Boniface and Umar Sadiq pulling out after injuries in camp while midfielder Wilfred Ndidi was a pre-tournament miss, also with injury.
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