Afcon 2023: Ivory Coast 2-0 Guinea-Bissau - Fofana and Krasso on target

Ivory Coast, who were hosting the Africa Cup of Nations in 2023, began their campaign with a 2-0 win against Guinea-Bissau.

Seko Fofana opened the way for the Elephants in the Group A confrontation in Abidjan, scoring a goal from a short distance in the fourth minute.

He nearly increased the score by two before the first half ended, but another strong shot was blocked by Ouparine Djoco and hit the crossbar.

Jean-Philippe Krasso scored the second goal after halftime following his clever control of the ball while being pressured inside the penalty box.

The 2023 African Cup of Nations has been postponed for six months until early 2024 to steer clear of West Africa's rainy season. However, this delay has provided Ivory Coast with ample time to finalize their arrangements, and they have spent more than $1 billion on hosting the event.

The team known as the Elephants was hoping to win their third continental championship after securing victories in 1992 and 2015. However, their top striker, Sebastien Haller, was unable to start the quest due to an injury.

However, Fofana, who plays in the midfield position, managed to score the first goal of the game in the early stages. The goal was set up by Franck Kessie who delivered a pass to Fofana. Fofana expertly evaded a couple of defenders and struck the ball with his right foot, hitting the back of the net on the right-hand side of the goal. His shot was very strong and forceful.

During the first half, Mama Balde missed Guinea-Bissau's opportunity to score by not hitting the ball well when it was played to him in the goal area. Djoco saved the team from falling one point behind by making a quick and skillful save. Later, Fofana showed off his abilities and scored a point by connecting with a pass that came from the right.

Krasso increased the score by expertly juggling the ball, turning and expertly launching a left-footed shot from a distance of eight yards in the 58th minute.

Franculino took a shot aimed directly at Ivorian goalkeeper Yahia Fofana in the last 20 minutes of the game, but unfortunately, despite four consecutive Afcon qualifications, the Djurtus were unable to score and have yet to secure a victory in the finals.

Nigeria will play against Equatorial Guinea at 2:00 PM GMT on Sunday, in their second game of Group A. Meanwhile, Group B will begin with a match between Egypt and Ghana, who have been champions four times and runners-up for the 2021 tournament.