Manchester United winger Amad Diallo was the match-winner as defending champions Ivory Coast opened their Africa Cup of Nations campaign with a hard-fought 1–0 victory over Mozambique on Wednesday in Marrakesh.
Diallo struck shortly after the restart, scoring in the 49th minute to cap a dominant performance by the Elephants against opponents ranked 60 places below them in the world rankings.
The three-time African champions controlled possession and created numerous chances throughout the Group F encounter but were initially frustrated by Mozambique’s disciplined defence and goalkeeper Ernan Siluane.
Ivory Coast came close on several occasions in the first half, with Yan Diomande, Ghislain Konan, and captain Franck Kessie all denied by missed chances or strong saves.
The breakthrough finally arrived early in the second half when a headed cross fell kindly to Diallo inside the penalty area, and the winger made no mistake, firing past Siluane to break the deadlock.
Despite late pressure and repeated attacking waves from Ivory Coast, Mozambique held firm to limit the damage, though they offered little threat in attack.
The victory gives Ivory Coast a positive start as they bid to become the first nation since Egypt in 2010 to successfully defend the AFCON title. They will next face Cameroon and Gabon in their remaining group fixtures.
For Mozambique, the defeat extends their long wait for an AFCON victory, having now drawn four matches and lost 12 since making their tournament debut in 1986.
