Ivory Coast open AFCON 2023 with 2-0 win over Guinea-Bissau | Africa Cup of Nations News

The hosts eased to a 2-0 win after raucous opening ceremony delighted followers on the Ebimpe Olympic Stadium in Abidjan.

Seko Fofana’s gorgeous early objective set hosts Ivory Coast on the best way to a 2-0 win over Guinea-Bissau earlier than a euphoric crowd because the Africa Cup of Nations 2023 kicked off in host nation’s financial capital Abidjan.

Saudi-based Fofana scored inside 4 minutes to the delight of the house followers on Saturday evening on the Ebimpe Olympic Stadium.

It was a objective worthy of profitable virtually any sport however it was adopted by Jean-Philippe Krasso’s second-half strike because the Elephants claimed all three factors within the Group A encounter.

They had been the higher crew, albeit towards one of many match’s minnows, as they give the impression of being to benefit from residence benefit to win a 3rd AFCON crown.

“We now have been ready for this second for a really very long time. We didn’t fall into any entice, we received the sport, and even when not the whole lot was good we’re more than happy,” stated Fofana.

“We’ll hold working humbly and attempt to right the little errors we made, however I assumed we performed effectively.

“We’re more than happy to have given everybody who got here right here one thing to shout about, in addition to everybody who watched us on tv.”

One supply of disappointment for the hosts is that simply 36,858 followers attended the sport inside a 60,000-seat stadium, with tickets being bought for between 5,000 and 15,000 CFA francs ($8-25).

“From what I might see the stadium seemed full. We had nice assist,” insisted Fofana.

These followers who had been there have been handled to a raucous opening ceremony, a riot of color and noise which featured a rendition of the match’s official track by in style Ivorian group Magic System.

There have been additionally speeches by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, African soccer boss Patrice Motsepe, and Ivory Coast’s veteran President Alassane Ouattara, who proudly declared his nation “a land of soccer”.

They’re aiming to grow to be the primary host nation to raise the trophy since Egypt beat Ivory Coast on penalties within the closing in 2006.

Followers lined the route from the Alhassane Ouattara Olympic Stadium within the north of the town and mobbed their crew’s bus as coach Jean-Louis Gasset declared it mission achieved and spoke of a way of reduction at profitable.

“The principle factor was to win this match. Taking part in a gap match of a match in a packed stadium is not any straightforward activity,” stated Gasset afterwards.

“It was laborious psychologically however we tried to do the very best we might. We had an excellent begin to the match the place we scored, however it’s true that general the efficiency was common.”