Amad Diallo was the star of the show as Ivory Coast continued their title defence with a comfortable 3-0 win over Burkina Faso in their Round of 16 clash on Tuesday night, SportPremi Reports.
The 23-year-old netted the opener and provided the assist for Yan Diomande’s second, before Bazoumana Toure added a late third to complete the comprehensive win.
The Elephants marched on to the quarterfinals of the 2025 African Cup of Nations tournament, while Burkina Faso crash out.
Defending champions Ivory Coast seal impressive Round of 16 victory
Ivory Coast had pipped Cameroon to top spot in Group F following their remarkable 3-2 comeback win over Gabon in their final group match, while Burkina Faso finished second in Group E behind Algeria.
A clash against Egypt was waiting in the last eight, after the Pharaohs had defeated Benin Republic 3-1 after extra-time.
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The defending champions started on top and wasted several opportunities to go ahead in the clash, until Amad Diallo opened scoring in the 20th minute.
The Manchester United forward picked up a loose ball on the edge of the box, before driving into the area and firing past the goalkeeper.
He turned provider moments later after driving forward with the ball and providing the assist for Diomande, who wrong-footed the goalkeeper with a tidy finish.
Dango Ouattara almost pulled one back for Burkina Faso, but his effort came back off the right post as the first half ended 2-0 in favour of Ivory Coast.
Both sides traded chances to add to the scoreline in the second half as the defending champions were content with keeping their two-goal advantage.
Substitute Bazoumana Toure added a third goal three minutes from time to seal victory for his side and send them into the last eight of the tournament.
The game ended 3-0 in favour of Ivory Coast, who booked their spot in the quarterfinals of the competition at the expense of Burkina Faso.
Players Ratings:
Ivory Coast Players Ratings
- Fofana – 7.6/10
- Doue – 7.9/10
- Kossounou – 7.2/10
- N’Dicka – 7.2/10
- Konan – 7.9/10
- Kessie – 7.6/10
- Sangare – 6.8/10
- Oulai – 8.0/10
- Amad – 8.8/10
- Guessand – 6.5/10
- Diomande – 8.7/10
Substitutes
- Toure – 7.3/10
- Krasso – 5.9/10
- Diakite – n/a
- Fofana – n/a
- Diomande – n/a
Burkina Faso Players Ratings
- Koffi – 5.1/10
- Kouassi – 5.8/10
- Nagalo – 5.7/10
- Tapsoba – 5.7/10
- Dayo – 5.9/10
- Yago – 5.9/10
- Irie – 6.2/10
- Ouedraogo – 6.0/10
- Simpore – 6.2/10
- Ouattara – 5.7/10
- Traore – 6.0/10
Substitutes
- Toure – 6.4/10
- Kabore – 6.5/10
- Traore – 6.1/10
- Minoungou – 6.2/10
- Bouda – 6.1/10
Man of the match
Amad Diallo (8.8/10) – The forward claimed his third man of the match award in Morocco with a goal and an assist to lead the defending champions to a comfortable Round of 16 win.
Key Stats
Ball Possession: Ivory Coast 58% – 42% Burkina Faso
Total Shots: Ivory Coast 21 – 8 Burkina Faso
Shots on target: Ivory Coast 4 – 2 Burkina Faso
Pass Accuracy: Ivory Coast 90% – 82% Burkina Faso
Corners: Ivory Coast 5 – 2 Burkina Faso
What next?
Ivory Coast advanced to the last eight and will face Egypt in Agadir on Saturday, with the winner of the clash facing either Mali or Senegal in the semifinals.
