Ivory Coast and Cameroon Draw in Thrilling Afcon Clash
Amad Diallo netted his second goal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) as defending champions Ivory Coast battled to a draw against Cameroon in a thrilling encounter between two tournament powerhouses in Marrakech.
In a highly anticipated match featuring two potential title contenders, Junior Tchamadeu scored a deflected equalizer just six minutes after Amad had beautifully curled in a goal to put the Elephants ahead. This result keeps both teams a point clear of Mozambique at the top of Group F and eliminates Gabon from the tournament.
The Manchester United forward, who had previously scored the only goal in Ivory Coast's opening win against Mozambique, received a crossfield pass from Ghislain Konan during a counter-attack. Amad then struck a stunning shot from the edge of the box, finding the far corner of Devis Epassy's net to break the deadlock in the 51st minute.
This goal was part of an exhilarating sequence at the start of the second half, which also included a deft finish by Franck Kessie being ruled out for offside and a shot from Danny Namaso that struck the crossbar after two deflections.
The first half was relatively quiet but featured intense competition and glimpses of the excitement to come, including a shot off the woodwork by Cameroon debutant Christian Kofane.
All four teams in Group F will play their final matches of the initial stage on Wednesday at 19:00 GMT, with Ivory Coast facing Gabon in Marrakech and Cameroon meeting Mozambique in Agadir.
Blockbuster Showdown Lives Up to Its Billing
Following Mozambique's historic 3-2 victory over Gabon earlier on Sunday, both teams were keen to avoid any slip-ups in Marrakech.
Ivory Coast had not scored a first-half goal in the finals since their opening match of the 2023 tournament, but Emerse Faé's side started strong in search of consecutive wins, with Amad firing over the bar from inside the box as their first threat.
Darlin Yongwa volleyed wide at the other end, and Diallo set up former Barcelona and Milan midfielder Kessie for another missed opportunity before 19-year-old Kofane nearly found the target, hitting the woodwork after evading his marker Odilon Kossounou to connect with Tchamadeu's low delivery.
With Real Madrid's top scorer Kylian Mbappé in attendance, alongside fellow France internationals Jules Koundé and Aurélien Tchouaméni, another celebrated forward set the tone for the second half when Amad's United teammate Bryan Mbeumo sent in a cross that Namaso could only hook wide under pressure from Nottingham Forest's Ibrahim Sangaré.
Kessie thought he had broken the deadlock with a composed finish after controlling a knockdown from Vakoun Bayo, who replaced former England international Wilfried Zaha in the Ivorian lineup.
Just as fans were settling in for a replay of Kessie's disallowed goal, Namaso's shot from outside the box deflected off Kessie and Odilon Kossounou, rattling the woodwork as both teams continued to trade near-misses.
After Amad finally delivered with a stunning strike, Tchamadeu's powerful shot looped over Yahia Fofana, who was backtracking in goal, ensuring that the two nations remain tied with eight wins each in their 22 Afcon encounters.
Epassy made an excellent save to deny Seko Fofana from heading Ivory Coast back in front, while Mbeumo narrowly missed with a powerful shot late in the game. Both coaches can take pride in their squads, which demonstrated their potential for a strong tournament run in Morocco.
Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba once again showcased his skills in Cameroon's midfield, while Leverkusen's Kofane made a memorable international debut before being replaced by Karl Etta Eyong, the scorer in the Indomitable Lions' opening 1-0 win against Gabon.