Manchester United winger Amad Diallo delivered a standout performance as defending champions Ivory Coast eased past Burkina Faso with a convincing 3-0 victory on Monday, becoming the first title holders since 2010 to reach the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals.
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Diallo opened the scoring and provided the assist for the second goal before half-time, setting the tone for a dominant Ivorian display in Marrakesh. Substitute Bazoumana Toure sealed the win late on, scoring his second goal in as many matches.
Ivory Coast will now travel to the Moroccan coastal city of Agadir, where they face record seven-time champions Egypt on Saturday for a place in the semi-finals.
The result marked a rare achievement for defending champions at AFCON. Since Egypt successfully retained the title in 2010, seven holders have failed to reach the last eight. Cameroon and Senegal exited at the last-16 stage, while Zambia, Ivory Coast and Algeria were eliminated in the group phase. Egypt and Nigeria even failed to qualify for subsequent tournaments.
Burkina Faso defender Adamo Nagalo was booked inside five minutes for fouling Diallo, though the United winger wasted the resulting free-kick. Ivory Coast controlled possession early, with captain Franck Kessie also going close.
The breakthrough came in the 20th minute when Diallo powered past several defenders and fired beyond goalkeeper Herve Koffi. Burkina Faso appealed for a foul in the build-up, but a VAR review upheld the referee’s decision.
Ivory Coast doubled their advantage on 32 minutes as Diallo turned provider, squaring the ball to 19-year-old Yan Diomande, whose beautifully curled shot found the left corner.
Burkina Faso threatened briefly before the break when Brentford forward Dango Ouattara struck the base of the post, but goalkeeper Yahia Fofana reacted quickly to collect the rebound.
The Burkinabe showed more intent after half-time and went close again on the hour mark, with Ouattara forcing another sharp save from Fofana. Veteran forward Bertrand Traore was introduced with 20 minutes remaining in his sixth AFCON appearance.
Diallo nearly added a second goal late on but was denied by Koffi, before Bazoumana Toure capped the performance in the 87th minute, sprinting from his own half and finishing emphatically to confirm Ivory Coast’s passage into the quarter-finals.
