AFCON 2025 Qualifers: Defending Champions Ivory Coast Cruise Past Sierra Leone
Ivory Coast continued their dominance in the 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, maintaining their 100 percent record with a convincing 4-1 win over Sierra Leone in San Pedro.
The victory puts the defending champions on the brink of qualification for the tournament in Morocco, with three wins from three games, scoring eight goals and conceding just once.
The Elephants wasted no time asserting their authority, with former Arsenal winger Nicolas Pépé opening the scoring as early as the third minute, capitalizing on a defensive lapse by Sierra Leone to give Ivory Coast a dream start.
Despite missing an opportunity to double their lead when Franck Kessié failed to convert a penalty in the 37th minute, the home side continued to dominate the first half.
Sierra Leone, struggling to keep up with the relentless pressure from Ivory Coast, made two rare first-half substitutions in the 41st minute, bringing on Bundu Mustapha and Mustapha Hindolo to replace Issa Kollon and Ibrahim Sillah.
The changes seemed to pay off when Alhassan Koroma shocked the Ivorian crowd by equalizing in the 43rd minute, sending the teams into halftime level at 1-1.
The second half saw a revitalized Ivory Coast, and Kessié quickly made up for his earlier penalty miss. Just six minutes after the restart, he combined with captain Seko Fofana to restore the lead for the Elephants.
Kessié then showed his resilience, stepping up to convert a second penalty in the 63rd minute, giving his side a two-goal cushion.
Ivory Coast’s dominance continued as they won yet another penalty late in the game, with Oumar Diakite calmly dispatching the spot-kick to complete the 4-1 scoreline and seal a commanding victory.
This result strengthens Ivory Coast’s position at the top of their qualifying group and edges them closer to securing a place at AFCON 2025 in Morocco.
With eight goals scored and only one conceded, the Elephants are sending a clear message to the rest of the continent as they seek to defend their AFCON title. Their next match could potentially seal their qualification, continuing their formidable form under head coach Emese Fae