Ivory Coast sealed their place in the quarter-finals of the 2025 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations with a thrilling 4-2 win over regional rivals Mali in a high-intensity West African derby on Monday.
The Elephants came out firing at the Berrechid Municipal Stadium in Morocco, delivering a clinical first-half display that left Mali with a mountain to climb.
Forward Alynho Haïdara gave Côte d’Ivoire the perfect start, scoring in the 4th minute after being teed up by Tape Touali.
Haïdara doubled the lead in the 18th minute from the penalty spot, capping a dominant opening spell for the Ivorian side.
Ivory Coast continued to assert their authority, and in the 41st minute, Moïse Diarrassouba extended their advantage to 3-0 after another decisive contribution from Haïdara, who has now scored six goals in the tournament and remains a central figure in his team’s attack.
Despite the early setback, Mali responded with resilience.
Seydou Dembélé pulled one back in first-half stoppage time (45’+3), giving the Aiglonnets a lifeline going into the break.
Their momentum carried into the second half, and in the 69th minute, Ndjicoura Bomba struck to make it 3-2, setting up a tense finale.
However, any hopes of a Mali comeback were dashed in the dying moments of the match.
Deep into added time, Broulaye Cissé capitalised on another assist from the lively Touali to score the Elephants’ fourth goal (90’+5), securing the win and extinguishing Mali’s late surge.
With this result, Ivory Coast finishes top of Group D, showcasing not only their attacking flair but also a strong sense of composure under pressure.
Their passage to the quarter-finals also guarantees them a spot in the upcoming U-17 World Cup, further underscoring the team’s potential on the continental and global stage.
Mali, who had already qualified for the knockouts prior to the match, will join their Ivorian counterparts in the next round.
But it was the Elephants who left the pitch with the spoils—and a timely confidence boost as they set their sights on a deep run in Morocco.
