Prime News Ghana

AFCON 2025: Amad stars as holders Ivory Coast ease into last eight

By Vincent Ashitey
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Amad Diallo starred as defending champions Ivory Coast cruised past Burkina Faso and into the quarter-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.

The Manchester United winger put the Elephants ahead in the 20th minute when he bustled past a couple of defenders and sent a dinked finish past goalkeeper Herve Koffi from close range.

Twelve minutes later Amad laid on the second for Yan Diomande, who sent a curling finish past the wrongfooted Koffi from just inside the area.

Dango Ouattara came close to pulling one back for the Stallions before the break, but his right-footed effort from a narrow angle hit the base of the left-hand upright and rebounded into the arms of Ivorian keeper Yahia Fofana.

Fofana then made a smart reaction save with his right boot to once again deny Brentford forward Ouattara just after the hour mark, while Amad was denied his second by a similarly fine stop by Koffi.

In the end it was teenager Bazoumana Toure who grabbed the third late on with a fine solo goal, racing forward from midway inside his own half and beating Koffi inside the left-hand upright with a clinical finish.

Emerse Fae’s men will now face record seven-time champions Egypt, who beat Benin 3-1 after extra time on Monday, in a heavyweight last-eight clash in Agadir on Saturday (19:00 GMT)