Ivory Coast Turn Group F Inside Out: 0–2 Down, Top Spot Secured in Stoppage Time

On the final night of Group F, the math was simple and the football was anything but. Cameroon handled Mozambique, yet still watched first place slip away as Ivory Coast authored a comeback that felt less like luck and more like a team refusing to drift into the wrong side of the bracket.

How Ivory Coast Won the Group Without Ever Looking Comfortable

Ivory Coast and Cameroon finished level on seven points, but the Elephants edged the group on goals scored after a wild 3–2 turnaround against Gabon in Marrakech. What made it compelling was the way the result inverted the narrative: Ivory Coast were 2–0 down inside 20 minutes, staring at a night that could have ended in second place or worse, before they gradually dragged the game back to their terms.

Gabon’s early burst came through Guelor Kanga and Denis Bouanga, forcing Ivory Coast into a riskier attacking shape far earlier than planned. The crucial pivot arrived just before halftime when Jean-Philippe Krasso pulled one back, and the detail that mattered was the supply line: the goal was assisted by Wilfried Zaha, a reminder that Ivory Coast’s wide creators can decide games even when the structure looks shaky.

The Substitutions That Broke Gabon’s Resistance

For long stretches, Gabon protected their lead by collapsing into a low block and daring Ivory Coast to find precision rather than volume. That’s why the equaliser felt inevitable only in hindsight: Evann Guessand struck late to make it 2–2, and then came the moment that turned a comeback into a headline. Teenager Bazoumana Toure scored in stoppage time to complete the 3–2 win, a finish that instantly changes how opponents will frame Ivory Coast in the knockout phase: not just talented, but relentless under stress.

There’s a broader tournament takeaway here. This was not a clean performance; it was a performance of tolerance—for chaos, for bad spells, for the psychological noise that creeps in when a game refuses to follow script. Ivory Coast, the defending champions, survived their own wobble and still left with the prize that matters: first place.

Cameroon Won, But Ivory Coast Controlled the Outcome

Cameroon’s 2–1 win over Mozambique did its job: three points, second place, safe passage. Mozambique struck first through Geny Catamo, and Cameroon benefitted from an own goal to level before Christian Kofane found the winner. Yet even with that result in the bag, Cameroon’s ceiling for the night was capped by what happened in the other match. When Ivory Coast found the late winner, Cameroon were locked into second by the group’s tiebreak picture.

For Mozambique, the loss still came with a payoff: they advanced as one of the best third-placed teams, turning three group-stage points into a place in the Round of 16. That kind of qualification often produces a dangerous underdog profile—freedom, physical energy, and nothing to protect.

Gabon’s Exit, and the Missing Star Shaping the Backdrop

Gabon’s story was already tilted toward elimination before kickoff, and the backdrop grew heavier with the absence of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who missed the match due to a thigh injury and was allowed to return early for club duties. Reuters framed it as a likely sour ending to his international career: 82 caps, 39 goals, and a reputation as the country’s defining modern attacker. In that context, Gabon’s furious opening looked like a team playing for pride—until the legs and concentration faded under sustained pressure.

Knockout Implications: Bracket Pressure Starts Now

Winning the group immediately reframes Ivory Coast’s pathway. They are set to face Burkina Faso in the Round of 16, while Cameroon and Mozambique draw South Africa and Nigeria respectively. The bracket doesn’t guarantee anything, but it does reward the teams that finished their group stage with intent: Ivory Coast’s late winner wasn’t just emotional theatre—it was strategic advantage.