Watch.. Ivory Coast beat Guinea-Bissau in Africa Cup of Nations opening game | Sporting
January 14, 2024–|Last updated: January 14, 202402:10 AM (Mecca time)
In the first match of the 2023 African Cup of Nations, the host Côte d'Ivoire defeated Guinea-Bissau 2-0 and advanced to Group A as the group leader, which also includes Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea.
The match takes place at the 60,000-capacity Alassane Ouattara Stadium and is preceded by an opening ceremony that includes artistic performances reflecting African and Ivorian culture.
The excitement began in the fourth minute when Ivory Coast took the lead against Guinea-Bissau thanks to Sekou Fofana's powerful strike.
Sekou Fofana breaks African Cup scoring record#Africa_Nations Cup#AFCON2023 | #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 pic.twitter.com/yfrksfwiAP
— beINSPORTS (@beINSPORTS) January 13, 2024
In the 28th minute, the Guinea-Bissau national team launched a dangerous attack. Balde's mother's shot was saved by the Ivory Coast goalkeeper.
Following the attack, Egyptian referee Amin Omar showed Ivory Coast player Ivan Ndika a yellow card for obstructing his opponent in a manner the referee considered reckless.
In the 35th minute, the home team launched a dangerous attack from the right side and regained control of the game. The first goal scorer Sekou Fofana's powerful shot hit the crossbar.
In the 41st minute, Egyptian referee Amin Omar refused to award Ivory Coast a penalty after Gian-Philippe Crasso fell without any player touching him, but the referee said the game would continue and warned him.
Jean-Philippe Classo took advantage of Guinea-Bissau's defensive errors to score a second goal in the 58th minute to extend Ivory Coast's lead.
Jean-Philippe Crassot scores second goal for Elephants #Africa_Nations Cup #cote d'ivoireguinea-bissau #AFCON2023 | #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 pic.twitter.com/DSEh53Gd5d
— beINSPORTS (@beINSPORTS) January 13, 2024
In the 63rd minute, Cote d'Ivoire launched a dangerous attack from the left, but it was saved by the Guinea-Bissau goalkeeper. The attacker was eager to score the third goal.
In the 76th minute, Ivory Coast star Frank Casey shot from the right side of the penalty area, but the Guinea-Bissau goalkeeper turned the ball into a corner kick.
The game was relatively calm after that, with Cote d'Ivoire successfully maintaining its two-goal lead until the end, leading the first group by 3 points.
