Côte d’Ivoire’s pursuit of back-to-back TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) titles gathered pace on Tuesday night in Marrakesh as the defending champions booked their place in the quarterfinals with an emphatic 3–0 victory over Burkina Faso.
Goals from Amad Diallo (20’), Yan Diomandé (32’) and Brahima Touré (82’) capped a dominant display by Les Éléphants, who now turn their attention to a blockbuster last-eight clash against record champions Egypt on Saturday in Agadir.
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Diallo was once again the driving force behind the Ivorian performance.
The Manchester United winger opened the scoring and later provided the assist for the second goal, underlining his growing influence and reinforcing the belief that Côte d’Ivoire’s previous AFCON triumph was no fluke.
Côte d’Ivoire asserted control from the opening exchanges, pressing aggressively and pinning Burkina Faso deep in their own half. Diallo and Diomandé posed constant problems with their pace and intelligent movement, stretching the Burkinabè defence.
The breakthrough came in the 20th minute following sustained pressure. A defensive mix-up inside the area allowed Diallo to pounce, delicately lifting the ball over the advancing goalkeeper from close range.
Twelve minutes later, Diallo turned provider with a moment of quality, driving a low cross across the face of goal for Diomandé, who showed excellent composure to control and fire home, doubling the advantage.
Burkina Faso came close to pulling one back just before the interval when Dango Ouattara burst down the right flank, but his low strike rattled the post before being gathered by the goalkeeper.
The Stallions showed greater intent after the restart, enjoying a more positive spell as they searched for a route back into the contest.
However, a disciplined and well-organised Ivorian defence stood firm, repelling wave after wave of pressure.
Any lingering hopes of a comeback were extinguished eight minutes from time.
Breaking swiftly on the counter, Ousmane Diomandé released Brahima Touré, who finished confidently at the near post to put the result beyond doubt.
Côte d’Ivoire saw out the closing stages with composure to secure a convincing win and a deserved place in the AFCON 2025 quarter-finals.
Heavyweight Quarter-Final Line-up Confirmed
The conclusion of the Round of 16 on Tuesday night confirmed a star-studded quarter-final line-up as AFCON 2025 moves into its decisive phase.
Defending champions Côte d’Ivoire and record seven-time winners Egypt headline the last eight, joined by former champions Senegal, Cameroon, Nigeria and Algeria. Ambitious Mali and tournament hosts Morocco complete the line-up.
Egypt edged past Benin after extra time, while hosts Morocco advanced with a narrow victory over Tanzania, roared on by passionate home support.
Senegal continued their strong run with a win over Sudan, and Mali showed remarkable resilience by defeating Tunisia on penalties despite playing large spells with ten men.
Nigeria underlined their attacking potency with a commanding victory over Mozambique, inspired by a brace from Victor Osimhen, while Algeria required extra time to see off DR Congo, with substitute Adil Boulbina striking late to seal qualification.
Quarter-Final Fixtures
Friday, 9 January
17:00 — Mali vs Senegal
20:00 — Cameroon vs Morocco
Saturday, 10 January
17:00 — Algeria vs Nigeria
20:00 — Egypt vs Côte d’Ivoire
