Africa Cup of Nations: Ivory Coast Advances to Quarterfinals with 3-0 Win Over Burkina Faso
Defending champions Ivory Coast became the eighth team to reach the Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals as they eased past neighbors Burkina Faso 3-0 in Marrakesh on Tuesday, with Amad Diallo delivering another AFCON masterclass. The Elephants, who were crowned champions on home soil in 2024, will now face Egypt and Mohamed Salah in a quarterfinal tie in Agadir on Saturday, as they become the first reigning AFCON champions since 2010 to win a knockout game in their title defense.
Having scored twice during the group stage, Manchester United’s Amad again opened the scoring here, adeptly lifting a finish over the Burkina Faso goalkeeper after 20 minutes, before then setting up wonderkid Yan Diomande 12 minutes later to give the Ivorians a commanding lead heading into halftime. Burkina Faso’s attempts to get back into the contest during the second half proved to be in vain, with substitute Bazoumana Touré rounding off the victory with a third in the 87th minute.
First Half Dominance
The Elephants had the best of a lively start, with Amad’s footwork proving too much for Adamo Nagalo, who received a caution for bringing him down to stop a counter in the fifth minute, before the wideman then forced Hervé Koffi to save onto his post with a low effort minutes later. Next, it was captain Franck Kessié who failed with a pair of chances to break the deadlock, first missing his connection with a flicked cross before then sending a powerful effort over the bar, but it seemed only a matter of time before the Elephants found their range.
It came in the 20th minute, with Amad wriggling through three defenders inside the box after Evan Guessand’s dogged work to win possession, before lifting the ball calmly above Koffi into the Burkina Faso net. VAR examined whether Aston Villa’s Guessand had committed a foul in the buildup amid Burkinabe complaints, but determined that the goal should stand, giving the Elephants first blood in this West African derby.
Second Half and Beyond
Burkina Faso attempted to calm the tempo of the match down in the moments after the goal, but they had no answer when an Amad run down the right couldn’t be contained by either Nagalo or Arsène Kouassi, and Diomande met his rolling cross with a rifled finish to make it 2-0 in the 32nd minute. Before the break, Dango Ouattara hit the post with a low effort as the Stallions sought a way back into the contest, although it was Ivory Coast who went closest to adding the third goal of the game after the restart, as Guela Doué flicked an Amad free kick over the bar.
Ouattara forced a save from Yahia Fofana soon after the hour mark as Burkina Faso’s efforts intensified, but it was 19-year-old Touré — a 75th-minute replacement for Diomande — who would round off the contest, as the youngster dribbled from midway inside his own half on a counterattack before prodding home with his left past Koffi at the keeper’s near post. The teenager also netted in the come-from-behind victory over Gabon during the group stage, and is becoming yet another breakout star at this Nations Cup.
The Ivory Coast now meets Egypt, who haven’t been eliminated in the quarterfinals since 2002, in Agadir on Jan. 10, as their title defense gathers momentum. With this win, Ivory Coast solidifies its position as a strong contender in the tournament, and their upcoming match against Egypt promises to be an exciting one, given the Pharaohs’ impressive record in the quarterfinals.
