Manchester United forward Amad Diallo’s composed strike gave holders Ivory Coast victory over Mozambique in their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Group F opener in Marrakech.
The Elephants, aiming to become the first defending champions since Egypt in 2010 to retain the title, squandered a succession of first-half chances against opponents ranked 60 places below them at 102nd in Fifa’s rankings.
Amad provided relief for Emerse Fae’s side four minutes after the restart, capitalising on static defending to meet Franck Kessie’s knockdown with a cool low finish that arrowed between Sunderland defender Reinildo’s legs on its way in.
Mozambique goalkeeper Ernan was busy before the break, acrobatically tipping Yan Diomande’s miscued shot from Guela Doue’s delivery over the crossbar and denying Kessie when the midfielder sent a close-range header straight at him.
Ghislain Konan should have opened the scoring when Amad tricked his way inside the box and teed the left-back up in space in front of goal, only to flash a shot comfortably wide.
Ivory Coast came close to a second with added time looming, Kessie breaking clear but dithering before substitute Vakoun Bayo collected the loose ball and was denied by Ernan and midfielder Guima’s athletic clearance off the line.
Both sides play the second of their three group stage games on Sunday, when Mozambique meet Gabon in Agadir (12:30 GMT) and Ivory Coast meet five-time champions Cameroon in Marrakech (20:00).
Reigning champions start with three points
With a potentially much more dangerous game up next, Ivory Coast will feel some relief at seeing off spirited underdogs on their way to going 14 opening matches unbeaten.
Mozambique have form for starting their campaign with a surprise, having only missed out on beating Egypt in their first game at the 2023 finals when Mohamed Salah equalised for the Pharaohs in the 97th minute.
While they scarcely threatened to record their first win at an Afcon, Chiquinho Conde’s players were resolute, as well as occasionally offering a threat through the enterprising runs of forward Geny Catamo, whose shot from inside the box forced Yahia Fofana to make a fine stop with seconds of the contest remaining.
But the Mambas only remained in the contest thanks to the wayward finishing of the West Africans, with Fae looking on in disbelief when Konan spurned his straightforward opportunity to make the breakthrough.
A runner-up as a player in 2006, Fae masterminded his country’s surge to the title at the 2023 edition after Jean-Louis Gasset was sacked following two successive defeats to end the group stage.
There was a moment of history for the Mozambicans midway through the second half as Domingues became the oldest outfield player in the tournament’s history, at 42 years and 41 days, when he came on as a substitute.
Former Egypt legend Essam El-Hadary holds the overall record, having played in goal against Cameroon in the 2017 final aged 44 years and 21 days.
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