Amad Diallo admitted this was the night he had been dreaming about, scoring the goal that launched Côte d’Ivoire’s AFCON title defence.
Amad Diallo’s composed second-half finish gave Côte d’Ivoire a 1–0 win over Mozambique in Marrakech, instantly turning a tight opening Group F match into a personal milestone for the young forward. After the game, he could not hide his pride, saying: “I am very proud of myself. I have been waiting for this moment for a long time. Wearing my country’s jersey is an immense pride; it’s a dream come true.”
For much of the night, Côte d’Ivoire controlled possession without finding a way through, increasing the pressure on Diallo and his teammates to make their dominance count. When Franck Kessié’s header dropped into his path just after the break, Diallo stayed calm and guided a low shot past the goalkeeper, a finish that seemed to release weeks of tension and expectation.
Even in the glow of his decisive strike, Diallo’s thoughts quickly turned to improving and pushing further in the tournament.
“We won 1-0. Honestly, I thought we deserved to win by a bigger margin, but we take this success. We will now focus on the next match, because it will be a very tough game for us,” he reflected, underlining that this long-awaited moment is only the start of Côte d’Ivoire’s journey.
