The Young Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire on Friday claimed third place at the CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations after a dramatic 5-2 penalty shootout win over Burkina Faso at the Stade Larbi Zaouli in Casablanca.
After a fiercely contested 1-1 draw in regular time, the Young Elephants held their nerve in the shootout, converting all four of their spot kicks while Burkina Faso missed two of their opening three efforts.
Burkina Faso had taken a deserved lead in the 28th minute when Halidou Diakité fired home from the centre of the box after a corner caused chaos in the Ivorian defence.
But Cote d’Ivoire regrouped in the second half, inspired by impactful substitutions, and eventually levelled the contest in the 84th minute.
Alynho Haïdara, one of the substitutes, turned home from close range after a well-worked move that started on the left flank.
The final minutes of normal time were frenetic. Burkina Faso were reduced to 10 men when Prince Ouédraogo was shown a straight red card following a VAR review in the 90th minute.
In the shootout, Cote d’Ivoire were flawless. Goals from Haïdara, Souhalio Bamba, Vaboué Doumbia, and Yannis Touali sealed the victory after Burkina Faso’s Mikael Coulibaly and Comi Ouattara saw their efforts saved.
The result ensures a podium finish for Cote d’Ivoire, who will take heart from their resilience after trailing for most of the match.
For Burkina Faso, the defeat was a bitter end to a promising campaign that saw them reach the semi-finals with flair and confidence.
Both teams will look back at Morocco 2025 as a valuable learning curve, but it is Cote d’Ivoire who walk away with the bronze medal and a statement of future potential.
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