Defending Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) champions Côte d’Ivoire got their title defense off to a winning start, beating Mozambique 1-0 in Group F action.
Diallo scored the only goal of the match in the 49th minute, capitalizing on a well-executed team move.
Franck Kessié’s header from Guela Doué’s cross set up the winning goal, which was expertly placed by Diallo.
The Elephants dominated the match, but struggled to find the back of the net until Diallo’s strike.
Mozambique’s defense, led by Reinildo Mandava, put up a strong fight, but ultimately couldn’t prevent the champions from taking the three points.
Côte d’Ivoire will look to build on this win when they face Cameroon on Sunday.
