Defending champions Ivory Coast overcome early shock to finish top of AFCON Group F

Ivory Coast produced a dramatic late comeback to finish top of Group F at the Africa Cup of Nations, coming from two goals down to beat Gabon 3-2 in Marrakesh on Wednesday as rivals Cameroon also secured victory elsewhere.

Substitute Bazoumana Touré struck in stoppage time to seal the win for the defending champions, who finished level with Cameroon on seven points and a goal difference of +2. The defending champions claimed top spot by virtue of scoring five goals in the group, one more than the Indomitable Lions.

The Elephants were stunned early as the Panthers raced into a two-goal lead midway through the first half. Guelor Kanga opened the scoring after 11 minutes before Denis Bouanga doubled the advantage on 21 minutes. 

The Ivorians steadied themselves just before the break, Jean-Philippe Krasso pulling one back on 44 minutes after being set up by Wilfried Zaha.

They pushed hard after the interval, even after withdrawing captain Franck Kessie and Zaha midway through the second half. Manchester United winger Amad Diallo was introduced on 76 minutes, but it was another substitute, Evann Guessand, who levelled the match with six minutes of normal time remaining. With momentum fully on their side, the Ivorians completed the turnaround in stoppage time when Touré struck to secure top spot and keep alive hopes of becoming the first team since Egypt in 2010 to successfully defend the AFCON title.

Meanwhile, in Agadir, Cameroon also had to recover from going behind as Mozambique took a surprise 23rd-minute lead through Geny Catamo. The goal sparked a response from the Indomitable Lions, and an own goal brought them back level five minutes later. Cameroon went on to secure a 2-1 win, but it was not enough to deny Ivory Coast first place in the group.

The results completed the round-of-16 line-up, with Ivory Coast set to face Burkina Faso, Cameroon drawn against South Africa and Mozambique paired with Nigeria.