This archive report was first published on 1 July 2019.
July 1, 2019, marked a significant day for Ivory Coast as they clinched a spot in the last 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations with a resounding 4-1 victory over Namibia at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo.
Wilfried Zaha made his first start in the tournament and made a lasting impression, scoring a crucial goal for Ivory Coast. The 2015 champions were in control from the start, with Max Gradel's precise finish and an own goal by Ryan Nyambe putting them ahead.
Despite Namibia's Joslin Kamatuka giving them hope with a goal, Ivory Coast's late efforts from Zaha and Maxwel Cornet sealed the win. The Ivorians advanced as runners-up of Group D behind Morocco, who secured a last-gasp winner in a 1-0 victory over South Africa.
South Africa's Stuart Baxter will now be relying on other results to scrape through as one of the four best third-place finishers. The Bafana Bafana had struggled in attack heading into their final group game against Morocco at Al Salam Stadium.
