After Mozambique secured their first-ever Afcon victory by beating Gabon 3-2 earlier on Sunday, both sides would have been wary of slipping up in Marrakech.
Ivory Coast have not scored a first-half goal at the finals since their opening match of the 2023 tournament, but Emerse Fae’s side started on the attack in pursuit of successive wins and threatened first when Amad fired over from inside the box.
Darlin Yongwa volleyed wide at the other end and Diallo set up former Barcelona and Milan midfielder Kessie for another wayward shot before 19-year-old Kofane almost found the accuracy that had been missing, smacking the woodwork after beating marker Odilon Kossounou to Tchamadeu’s low delivery to the near post.
With Real Madrid top scorer Mbappe joined in the Grande Stade de Marrakech by fellow France internationals Jules Kounde and Aurelien Tchouameni, another feted forward set the tone after the break when Amad’s United team-mate Bryan Mbeumo fizzed in a cross that was hooked wide by Namaso under pressure from Nottingham Forest’s Ibrahim Sangare.
Kessie then thought he had made the breakthrough, controlling a knockdown from Vakoun Bayo – replacing former England international Wilfried Zaha in the Ivorian line-up – with a composed piece of control to prod in.
There was scarcely time for fans to watch a replay of the disallowed effort before Namaso’s shot from outside the box hit Kessie and Odilon Kossounou on its way to rattling the woodwork, with an opening goal seeming inevitable as the teams continued to trade near-misses.
Having watched Amad finally oblige in style, enterprising Stoke City right-back Tchamadeu’s arrowed drive looped over Yahia Fofana via the backtracking goalkeeper’s fingertips, ultimately ensuring the countries remain level on eight wins apiece from their 22 meetings at Afcon.
Epassy made an excellent stop to prevent Seko Fofana from heading Ivory Coast back in front and Mbeumo powered a shot narrowly wide late on, but both coaches have cause to feel their squads showed their credentials for a run in Morocco.
Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba was once again a driving force in Cameroon’s midfield, while Leverkusen’s Kofane made a memorable international bow before being replaced by Karl Etta Eyong, the scorer in the Indomitable Lions’ opening 1-0 win against Gabon.
