Ivory Coast reached the Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 as Group F winners after a late 3-2 victory over Gabon, settled by substitute Bazoumana Toure. Gabon had already been eliminated and missed the injured Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, yet still pushed the reigning champions and came close to taking a point in a tense finish.
The result also shaped the rest of Group F. Ivory Coast’s comeback meant Cameroon dropped to second place, finishing behind Emerse Fae’s side on goals scored. Cameroon had overturned a deficit to defeat Mozambique 2-1, with Christian Kofame netting the decisive goal, but that effort was not enough to claim top spot.
Gabon actually controlled the early stages and took advantage of a mistake from goalkeeper Alban Lafont on 11
minutes. Lafont failed to hold Teddy Averlant’s angled effort from the right side, and Guelor Kanga reacted quickest inside the area to drive the loose ball into the net for the opening goal.
Ivory Coast’s problems increased 10 minutes later when Gabon struck again from their left flank. Kanga sent over a cross that took a deflection and reached Denis Bouanga, who had been left unmarked. Bouanga adjusted and bent a precise strike into the bottom-right corner, leaving Lafont rooted and putting Gabon 2-0 ahead.
The champions then raised the tempo and started creating regular chances. Oumar Diakate rattled the right post with a powerful effort as Gabon began to sit deeper. One minute before half-time, Ivory Coast cut the deficit when Wilfried Zaha found space on the left and squared the ball for Kean-Philippe Krasso, who finished from close range.
Gabon still threatened after the restart, with Clench Loufilou and Averlant both sending efforts narrowly over the bar. Those missed opportunities proved costly in the 84th minute. Christopher Operi delivered a precise cross and Evann Guessand rose highest, powering a towering header beyond Francois Bekale to level the score at 2-2.
The decisive moment followed in the closing stages as Ivory Coast completed the turnaround. Operi again provided the service from wide, and Toure darted across the defender to glance a header past Bekale, making it 3-2. There was late confusion when Ousmane Diomande rolled the ball into an empty net in stoppage time, but that effort was ruled out for offside.
𝘎𝘰𝘰𝘰𝘢𝘭 𝘥𝘦 𝘉𝘢𝘻𝘰𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘢𝘢𝘢 𝘖𝘯 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘶 𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘦 2-3 #TotalEnergiesAFCON25 pic.twitter.com/gYFp61mctrCte dIvoire (@FIFCI_tweet) December 31, 2025
The statistics backed Ivory Coast’s dominance across the 90 minutes, even though the scoreline stayed tight. Fae’s team produced more attacking quality and sustained pressure, while Gabon relied on early counters and then defended deeper once holding their 2-0 lead, which they could not protect under late pressure.
| Team | xG | Total shots | Shots on target | Chances created by top creator | Crosses by top crosser |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ivory Coast | 1.79 | 21 | 5 | Christopher Operi – 6 | Christopher Operi – 12 |
| Gabon | 0.87 | - | - | - | - |
Data from the match showed Ivory Coast finishing with 1.79 expected goals, compared with Gabon’s 0.87. Ivory Coast registered 21 shots but tested Bekale with only five on target. Operi assisted both late goals and created a game-high six chances while sending in 12 crosses. Gabon lost all three group fixtures for the first time since consecutive defeats between 1994 and 1996.
