September 24, (THEWILL) – On Saturday, the Elephants of Ivory Coast defeated the Sparrow Hawks of Togo in a friendly match, played at the Stade Robert Diochon, Le Petit Quevilly, France.
The Jean-Louis Gasset-led Ivorian side was predicted to win this match because they were heavy favourites. However, both teams failed to score in the first half. It took Seko Fofana, a midfielder for RC Lens, to break the deadlock with the game’s first goal for Ivory Coast in the 60th minute.
That 1-0 advantage was doubled by a Frenck Kessie shot less than 10 minutes after Fofana’s goal as the Elephants maintained a tight and complete control of the game. The Ivorians could have increased their lead further, but did not find the finishing to make that happen.
Instead, they were put on the defensive when Togo closed the gap. Karim Dermane, an 18-year-old midfielder for Jong Feyenoord, gave his side a fighting chance in the 85th minute as Togo fought valiantly for a response and eventually pulled a goal back.
This late goal gave the Togolese a boost of motivation to try and find an equaliser but the Ivorians held on tenaciously to their slim lead until the final whistle to triumph 2-1.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
