CAN U17: Côte d'Ivoire clinches quarter-final spot

Alynho Haïdara and the Côte d'Ivoire U17 national team secured their place in the quarter-finals of the 2025 U17 Africa Cup of Nations on Monday, April 7, at the municipal stadium of Berrechid. The Elephanteaux triumphed 4-2 over Mali, who were already qualified.

This was the final encounter of Group C for the 3rd day of the group stage of the 2025 U17 AFCON. Facing a Mali team already qualified but determined to maintain its unbeaten record, Côte d'Ivoire executed an exceptional performance to advance to the next round of the competition. These two opponents delivered an intense duel and an unprecedented spectacle.

Alynho Haïdara, the team's star striker, opened the scoring in the 4th minute, capitalizing on a precise pass from his midfield teammate, Yannis Touali. About a quarter-hour later, Alynho Haïdara successfully converted a penalty, doubling the lead for the Elephanteaux (18th, 2-0). Far from stopping, Haïdara turned into a decisive passer, assisting Moïse Dieudonné Diarrassouba to bring the score to 3-0 (41st).

But before the break, Mali managed to narrow the gap thanks to midfielder Seydou Dembélé. The teams thus went into halftime with a score of 3-1.

Despite Mali's tactical changes at halftime, Côte d’Ivoire maintained control after the break. In the 67th minute, Mali earned a penalty, but Seydou Dembélé missed his shot, failing to update the scoreline. Moments later, his teammate Ndjicoura Raymond Bomba found the back of the net, further reducing the deficit (3-1, 69th).

On the other side, the opponent left no good opportunity to seal their victory. Broulaye Cissé took advantage of stoppage time to score Côte d'Ivoire's 4th goal, with the contribution of Yannis Touali.

With 6 points behind Mali, Côte d'Ivoire qualifies for the quarter-finals of the 2025 U17 AFCON and continues the competition.

Lydiane N'Po |

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Sports journalist specializing in African football, covering football news, exclusive stories and digital content for passionate fans of the game.