Ivory Coast opened their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign with a 2-0 win over Guinea-Bissau in Abidjan on Saturday night.
The Elephants made their intentions clear from the start, with Seko Fofana scoring four minutes in after pouncing on a loose ball outside the box and blasting a brilliant effort beyond goalkeeper, Jonas Mendes.
After 35 minutes, Fofana nearly added a second but had his thunderous shot fly off the crossbar as the Elephants finished the first half in the lead.
Guinea-Bissau posed a rare counter-attack danger, but the Ivorians were comfortably in control after the break.
Just before the hour mark, the hosts doubled their lead when substitute Jean-Philippe Krasso acrobatically blasted home from a Jonathan Bamba assist.
Krasso’s precise finish put the score beyond doubt, and sealed Ivory Coast’s victory.
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On Wednesday, the Elephants will meet three-time champions Nigeria, while Guinea Bissau will face Equatorial Guinea.
TODAY’S FIXTURES
Group A
Nigeria
Group B
Egypt
Ghana