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Defending champions Côte d’Ivoire produced a thrilling comeback to defeat Gabon 3–2 in a dramatic Group F finale at the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025, securing top spot in the group and a place in the Round of 16.
Gabon stunned the holders with a blistering start, opening the scoring in the 11th minute through Guélor Kanga before Denis Bouanga doubled the lead 10 minutes later with a composed finish. The early goals left the Elephants reeling as the Panthers dominated the opening exchanges.
Côte d’Ivoire, however, found a foothold just before the break when Jean-Philippe Krasso pulled one back in the 44th minute following a well-worked move involving Wilfried Zaha. The goal reignited the champions’ belief and shifted the momentum.
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The Elephants pressed relentlessly in the second half and were rewarded in the 84th minute when Evann Guessand levelled the score, converting from a Christopher Opéri cross. Deep into stoppage time, Côte d’Ivoire completed the turnaround as Bazoumana Touré headed home the winning goal in the 90+1st minute, sparking jubilant celebrations.
The victory secured Côte d’Ivoire’s place at the top of Group F and set up a Round of 16 clash with Burkina Faso. In the other Group F match, Cameroon came from behind to beat Mozambique 2–1, finishing as runners-up. Cameroon will face South Africa in the knockout stage, while Mozambique are set to meet Nigeria. Gabon bowed out of the tournament despite a spirited showing.
Meanwhile, Algeria underlined their status as one of the tournament’s standout teams with a convincing 3–1 win over Equatorial Guinea, completing the group stage with a perfect record and finishing top of Group E.
Algeria dominated from the outset and took the lead in the 18th minute when Zineddine Belaïd headed home from a Hadj Moussa corner. The advantage was doubled seven minutes later as Fares Chaïbi finished confidently after sustained pressure, before Ibrahim Maza added a third in the 32nd minute, again following a move orchestrated by Moussa.
Equatorial Guinea struggled to cope with Algeria’s intensity and organisation. Although Emilio Nsue reduced the deficit with a fine strike five minutes into the second half, the goal proved to be little more than a consolation as Algeria regained control and saw out the match with ease.
The result confirmed Algeria’s dominance in Group E, finishing with maximum points and strong momentum heading into the knockout rounds. For Equatorial Guinea, the defeat capped a disappointing campaign, as they exited the competition without a point from three matches.