Séko Fofana’s wonder goal gives Ivory Coast winning start to AFCON

Ivory Coast got their 2024 Africa Cup of Nations campaign off to a winning start on Saturday evening, beating Guinea-Bissau 2-0.

Séko Fofana was the star of the show for the hosts, scoring a stunning goal in the 12th minute to put them ahead. The Al-Nassr midfielder fired a powerful shot from outside the box that flew into the top corner, giving Guinea-Bissau goalkeeper Jonas Mendes no chance.

The Elephants continued to dominate for the rest of the half and doubled their lead just before the break through Nicolas Pepe. The Arsenal winger latched onto a loose ball in the box and fired home, making it 2-0.

Ivory Coast eased off a bit in the second half, but they still had chances to extend their lead. Pepe and Maxwel Cornet both had efforts saved by Mendes, but the score remained 2-0.

The win was a good start for Ivory Coast, who are one of the favorites to win the tournament. Fofana’s goal was a statement of intent from the hosts, and they will be looking to build on this performance in their next match against Nigeria.

After the match, Fofana was named man of the match. He said: “We have been preparing for this match for a long time, and it is important to start with a win. It wasn’t perfect, but that is good because it will keep us humble and we can learn from our mistakes. We need to keep working hard and we will be ready for Nigeria.”

The Elephants will face Nigeria in their next match on Wednesday, January 17.