13 January 2024 , 23:06
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Ivory Coast kicked off the Africa Cup of Nations with a 2-0 win over Guinea-Bissau on Saturday.
Seko Fofana and Jean-Philippe Krasso scored the goals in a convincing display for the hosts, delighting the home crowd at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan. Fofana put the Elephants ahead early on, taking advantage of a defensive error from their Group A rivals. He nearly added another before half-time.
Krasso doubled the lead with a volley in the 58th minute, giving his team some breathing space as they held on to claim victory. Former Chelsea and Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba was among those watching the match from the stands, along with his old Blues team-mate Saloman Kalou and ex-Liverpool star El-Hadji Diouf.
Guinea-Bissau's best chance came when Mama Balde set up Franculino Dju late in the game, but they couldn't mount a serious comeback.
Fofana's goal came after a defensive mistake by the visitors. The Manchester City academy graduate received Franck Kessie's pass and fired the ball past goalkeeper Ouparine Djoco into the top corner.
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Fofana almost got a second goal, but Djoco made a fantastic fingertip save to push the ball against the crossbar and out of danger.
Despite a spirited start from Guinea-Bissau, who had their opportunities and made it a closer contest than expected against a team ranked 54 places above them in FIFA's world rankings, the home nation maintained control after half-time.
Another mistake from Guinea-Bissau led to Krasso's sharp goal as he calmly controlled the bouncing ball inside the area before volleying it low into the right corner, securing the win.
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