In Marrakech, Côte d’Ivoire, the defending champions, impressed with a 3-0 victory over Burkina Faso. The Elephants led 2-0 by halftime. As usual, the Ivorians dominated their opponents thanks to the omnipresence of midfielders Ibrahim Sangaré and Franck Kessié in winning the ball back.

What pleased coach Emerse Fae the most was his team’s offensive efficiency. “This is something we often lacked. We create chances but fail to convert them. This time, we scored very early, which made the opponents run and opened up spaces,” said the man who led Côte d’Ivoire to the 2024 title.

The match also highlighted the Bundesliga talent of young players Yan Diomandé and Bouzamana Touré, who play for RB Leipzig and TSG Hoffenheim, both finding the net.

Algeria Edges Through in Dramatic Fashion

Earlier in the day, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was eliminated by Algeria in a tight 1-0 match. Adil Boulbina scored the decisive goal in the 119th minute during extra time.

For the Leopards, the loss is hard to take as the DRC had high ambitions for this AFCON. Yet fans met at the stadium yesterday by our correspondent in Morocco, Ali Farhat, remained proud of their team.

“We saw the DRC lose, while we expected them to go further. It had been a long time since we reached the round of 16. Leaving like this hurts a lot. Algeria is a very good team. It was fair play,” said one fan.

“We are very proud of our Leopards. They fought until the end. What more can we say? It’s just the game. Congratulations to the Algerians. Stay strong, our Leopards! It’s not the end of the world; we love you with all our hearts,” added another supporter.

“We are very confident. We will head to Mexico in March, and we will qualify for the World Cup,” promised a follower of the national team.