Ivory Coast
Burkina FasoThe group stage of the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 officially came to an end today
Lassina Traoré emerged as one of the heroes against Sudan
The North African giants were in complete control from start to finish
Both sides appeared far more concerned with avoiding defeat than chasing a statement victory
Ivory Coast began the defence of their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 title with a hard-fought 1–0 victory
What looked set to become one of the tournament’s first major upsets instead turned into a painful lesson in game management