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Côte d’Ivoire came from two goals down to beat already eliminated Gabon 3-2 in Group F at the Africa Cup of Nations on Wednesday as the teenager Bazoumana Touré’s headed winner in added time in Marrakech handed them top spot. The Ivorians finished on seven points from their three games, ahead of Cameroon on goals scored after the latter beat third-placed Mozambique.
Gabon were ahead on 11 minutes when Guélor Kanga profited from a mistake from the goalkeeper Alban Lafont as he spilled a tame shot, allowing the forward to score from close range. It was 2-0 on 21 minutes and this time Lafont had no chance. Denis Bouanga curled a superb shot from the left-hand side of the box across the goal and into the far corner.
Côte d’Ivoire offered little going forward until past the half-hour mark when Oumar Diakité made a barnstorming run in the box and crashed his thunderous shot against a post.
The Ivorians did have a goal before half-time as Jean-Philippe Krasso tapped in from four yards out when the ball was put on a plate by Wilfried Zaha’s low cross from the left. The Gabon substitute Clench Loufilou should have restored his side’s two-goal advantage 10 minutes into the second period when he missed an open goal at the back post, skewing his shot wide.
Côte d’Ivoire made him pay as Evann Guessand headed in an equaliser on 84 minutes having been left unmarked from a corner, and there was still time for the winner from 19-year-old Touré as he headed in from close range.
Christian Kofane announced his arrival on the international stage with a stunning winner as Cameroon came from behind to beat Mozambique 2-1.
The 19-year-old from Bayer Leverkusen was making only his second appearance for the Indomitable Lions, having turned down call-ups earlier this season to concentrate on his first Bundesliga season where he has already been making an impact. Cameroon allowed him to stay at Leverkusen until the eve of the tournament in Morocco with his first caps much anticipated.
After squandering several half chances early on, Kofane thrashed home a rocket-like effort from the edge of the area in the 55th minute to win the game.
Mozambique led after the Sporting Lisbon striker Geny Catamo fired them ahead in the 23rd minute with a powerful low strike from outside the penalty area. But the surprise advantage lasted only five minutes before a bizarre own goal tied matters at the Grand Stade d’Agadir.
It came when the Cameroon striker Frank Magri’s shot was deflected by full-back Nené on to the post. The Mozambican defender had fallen to the ground in the process and as the ball rebounded back at him, he tried to sweep it away from danger but only succeeded in putting it into his own net.
Cameroon will now play South Africa on Sunday, while Mozambique face Nigeria on Monday.
Burkina Faso booked second place in Group E with a 2-0 win over Sudan in Casablanca, with goals from Lassina Traoré and Arsène Kouassi as their opponents squandered a penalty.
Traoré put Burkina Faso ahead after 16 minutes, rising to meet a looping cross from Stephane Aziz Ki and steering his header inside the far post. Sudan squandered a golden chance to level when Hervé Koffi, Burkina Faso’s goalkeeper, fouled Al-Jezoli Nouh in the box, only for him to drag the resulting penalty wide.
That miss was compounded by further wasted opportunities, and Burkina Faso made sure of the points as Kouassi raced on to a pass from Dango Ouattara and slipped the ball past the goalkeeper from 15 yards.
Burkina Faso finished on six points from three matches, three behind the group winners, Algeria, who advance with a perfect record. Sudan, meanwhile, progress as one of the four best third-placed teams and face a daunting test against 2021 champions, Senegal, in Tangier on Saturday.
Algeria kept up their winning run at the finals, making it three out of three in Group E as they beat Equatorial Guinea 3-1 to affirm their status among the tournament favourites.
Goals in the first half from Zineddine Belaïd, Farès Chaïbi and Ibrahim Maza secured a comfortable victory for a second-string side at the Stade Moula El Hassan, with veteran Emilio Nsue pulling one back for Equatorial Guinea after the break.
Algeria were already confirmed as group winners after beating Burkina Faso on Sunday to set up a last-16 meeting with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, enabling them to make nine changes for Wednesday’s game.
Equatorial Guinea finished last in Group E without any points, unable to reprise their giant killing heroics of the previous tournament.
