Ivory Coast, host country of the African Cup of Nations (CAN), fell on Thursday against Nigeria (1-0), while Egypt saved the point of a draw against Ghana (2-2 ), but is worried about its star Mohamed Salah, who came out injured before the break.
Despite the encouragement of nearly 50,000 supporters in the Alassane Ouattara stadium in Ebimpé, a suburb of Abidjan, the Elephants did not confirm their inaugural victory against Guinea-Bissau (2-0).
They conceded a penalty (55th), after a foul in the area by Ousmane Diomandé on Naples striker Victor Osimhen.
The Nigerian captain, William Troost-Ekong transformed it with a full-axis strike to give his team the advantage.
Before this goal, the two teams had neutralized each other during a first period where Ivory Coast had the ball and Nigeria was clumsy with no shots on target.
In a more choppy second act, the Ivorians had few opportunities to get back on track even if Seko Fofana could have found the fault in the 73rd minute with a shot from outside the area, off target.
The nine minutes of added time granted by Algerian referee Mustapha Ghorbal changed nothing: Ivory Coast is the first host country to lose a match in the group stage since Equatorial Guinea in 2012.
A bad operation for the men of Jean-Louis Gasset who are third in group A with three points, one length behind Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea, victorious earlier over Guinea-Bissau 4-2.
Author of a hat-trick, Emilio Nsue is the great architect of his team's success.
Djibril Cissé and Didier Drogba came to congratulate Victor Osimhen 🙌🇳🇬🇨🇮#beINCAN2023 #beINEXPERIENCE #AFCON2023 pic.twitter.com/yShbuOna4d
— beIN SPORTS (@beinsports_FR) January 18, 2024
Salah hit on the back of the left thigh
Lots of goals also in the group B poster between Egypt and Ghana.
Trailing 2-1 after a double from Mohammed Kudus, Egypt snatched a draw thanks to Omar Marmoush and Mostafa Mohamed, who took advantage of two big Ghanaian errors.
Before this series of goals, the meeting had been particularly disappointing between these two big names in African football (7 African Cups for Egypt, 4 for Ghana), with players seemingly stunned by the heat (28 degrees and 80 % humidity) and guilty of many technical approximations.
But the highlight of the meeting was the exit shortly before the break of Mohamed Salah.
The star striker of the Pharaohs and Liverpool left the pitch visibly injured in the back of his left thigh.
Egypt is second in Group B, one point behind Cape Verde, surprise leader after its inaugural victory against Ghana (2-1) and which plays Friday against Mozambique (3rd, 1 pt).
Ghana is bottom with just one point and already conceded four goals.