Ivory Coast secured a second consecutive victory in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers after defeating Somalia 2-0 in Abidjan on Tuesday.
The Ivorians took control of the Group C encounter at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, with Malick Yalcouyé opening the scoring shortly before half-time.
Yalcouyé, making his mark in the qualifying campaign, found the net in the 44th minute after being set up by Franck Kessié.
Ivory Coast continued to dominate after the break and were awarded a penalty following an incident involving Yalcouyé.
Kessié stepped up to convert from the spot in the 58th minute, doubling the hosts’ advantage and effectively sealing the victory.
The result moved Ivory Coast to six points from two matches, leaving them level with The Gambia at the top of Group C.
Somalia, meanwhile, are still searching for their first point after suffering a second successive defeat in the qualifying campaign.
The defeat followed their 2-1 loss to The Gambia in their opening match, leaving them with plenty of work to do in their bid to reach the 2027 AFCON finals.
