Amad Diallo fires Ivory Coast to opening AFCON win
Manchester United's Amad Diallo scored the winner as Ivory Coast began its defence of the Africa Cup of Nations title with a deserved 1-0 victory over Mozambique.
Emerse Fae's team, which is looking to become the first back-to-back champion at AFCON since Egypt won three straight titles from 2006 to 2010, was in control throughout the 90 minutes in Marrakech.
But it was made to settle for a single goal, which came when Amad latched onto Franck Kessie's knockdown to steer into the bottom-left corner after 49 minutes.
The holder had failed to make its superiority count in the first period, with Yan Diomande seeing a penalty appeal waved away before Ghislain Konan miscued after a solo run from Amad on the right flank.
Mozambique's Ernan Siluane also made a scrambling save to deny Kessie, who later planted a close-range header wide of a glaring goal shortly after Amad opened the scoring.
Vakoun Bayo also wasted a good headed opportunity and saw another attempt cleared off the line by Guima in the teeming rain, as Ivory Coast leapt out in front in Group F, which also contains Cameroon and Gabon.
Ivory Coast have made a habit of starting strongly at AFCON, and it is now unbeaten in its past 14 opening matches at the tournament – nine wins, five draws – last losing on matchday one in 1996, a 2-0 defeat to Ghana.
Mozambique, meanwhile, has never won in 16 matches at AFCON – four draws, 12 defeats – and has never kept a clean sheet. No other team has played as many matches at the tournament without ever tasting victory.
