Ivory Coast Defeats Mozambique 1–0 in the Opening Match of Group F at AFCON 2025

Ivory Coast Start Title Defense With Narrow Victory Against Mozambique

On the afternoon of December 24, 2025, Ivory Coast and Mozambique faced each other at the Stade de Marrakech in the opening match of Group F of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, held in Morocco. The “Elephants,” reigning champions of the tournament, entered the match determined to assert their quality against a Mozambique side looking to cause an upset in their second consecutive AFCON appearance.

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The match was intense from the opening whistle, with Ivory Coast controlling possession and seeking to break the deadlock through wide attacking play. The constant pressure from the Ivorians paid off early in the second half when Amad Diallo finished a well-timed pass from Franck Kessié to score the only goal of the match, sparking celebrations among the fans in Marrakech.

The final 1–0 scoreline reflected Ivory Coast’s territorial dominance as well as Mozambique’s resilience against one of the tournament favorites. This victory allowed the defending champions to begin their title defense with three valuable points in Group F, while Mozambique will need to regroup quickly ahead of their next group-stage fixtures.

Mozambique, for their part, showed strong defensive discipline and refused to concede easily, attempting to respond with quick counterattacks led by their forwards. However, the solid organization of Ivory Coast’s back line and key interventions from goalkeeper Yahia Fofana prevented the Mambas from finding an equalizer.

The match reinforced Ivory Coast’s status as a strong contender to lift the AFCON trophy once again and highlighted the competitive nature of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, where even underdogs are capable of putting up determined and organized performances.