Ivory Coast, hosts of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), began their title quest on home soil with a 2-0 win over Guinea-Bissau at the Alassane Ouattara Olympic Stadium in Abidjan on Saturday.
Seko Fofana’s early goal put the West African nation on the front foot before Jean-Philippe Krasso’s second-half strike sealed victory in the Group A encounter.
A lightening start saw Fofana collect Franck Kessie’s pass in the box, and evade the attention of two players before firing a shot into the far corner to the delight of the cheering crowd.
The Al Nassr of Saudi Arabia midfielder also rattled the bar with another effort but the hosts could not add to the tally at halftime.
A settled Guinea-Bissau side emerged in the second period but Krasso had other ideas when he fired beyond the goalkeeper on the turn to seal the easy victory.
The game was the first-ever encounter between the Ivorians and the African Wild Dogs.
The outcome sees Ivory Coast secure a 13th consecutive AFCON opening match victory, while Guinea-Bissau have now failed to score in a record-extending eight AFCON matches.
Ivory Coast will face Nigeria in their next group match while Guinea-Bissau will clash with Equatorial Guinea.