ABIDJAN: Ivory Coast’s Seko Fofana and Jean-Philippe Krasso scored in each half as the hosts completed a 2-0 Group A victory over Guinea Bissau in the Africa Cup of Nations opening match played in energy-sapping humidity on Saturday.
Fofana gave his side a fourth-minute lead with a superb shot from the edge of the box before Krasso made up for an earlier miss when he acrobatically netted a second just before the hour.
The Ivorians were always favourites against a Guinea Bissau team who have now not won any of their 10 Cup of Nations finals matches but the hosts, with several players missing through injury, will be pleased to have started their campaign on a positive note in front of an expectant 60,000 crowd.
Twice-winners Ivory Coast next play on Thursday when they face Nigeria in the biggest match-up in the group, while Guinea-Bissau take on Equatorial Guinea on the same day. The matches will again be played at Abidjan’s Alassane Ouattara Stadium.