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African giants Cote d'Ivoire picks first 2016 CHAN win

Xinhua, January 21, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Cote d'Ivoire national team showed good fighting spirit to beat Morocco 1-0 in a Group A match of the on-going Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) on Wednesday.

After losing 1-0 to Rwanda in the opening match last Saturday, Africa's best ranked football nation saw their side recover to garner all the three points to take them second in the group behind Rwanda who have already qualified for the quarter final.

Cote d'Ivoire converted a penalty at the stroke of first half after Atcho Hemann Junior Djobo had been brought down in the box.

Zakri Yannick Krahire made no mistake converting the penalty when he placed the ball past Morocco's goalkeeper Mohammed Amine Bourkadi.

Later in the second half, Morocco tried to push forward to level terms but found the Cote d'Ivoire defenders up to the task.

Substitute Abdelghani Mouaoui should have made it 1-0 after 76 minutes, but the Moroccan blasted the ball wide after dribbling past three defenders.

Cote d'Ivoire will now face Gabon in their last Group game on Sunday, while hosts Rwanda take on Morocco.

Michel Dussuyer, the Cote d'Ivoire coach said he was happy with the fighting spirit of his team.

"This was a very explosive game and am happy that we won after losing the first game," said the French born coach.

The Moroccan coach Mhamed Fakhir said it was a disappointing loss.

"We now have no alternative but to beat Rwanda in the last game to stand a slim chance of qualifying for the knock out stage," he added. Endit