Ivory Coast's quest for a second Africa Cup of Nations 20 years after their lone title received a boost on Thursday when Didier Drogba's Elephants marched into the quarter-finals. Skipper Drogba and company faced Burkina Faso in Franceville having scraped a 1-0 win in their opening game against Sudan last Sunday.
In the 16th minute Drogba crossed for Chelsea team-mate Salomon Kalou to score from close range, with Bakary Kone heading in an own goal in the closing stages to eliminate his team from the last-eight race. Ivory Coast join Equatorial Guinea, the only other side so far to book their quarter-final ticket after Sunday's rousing 2-1 win by the co-hosts over Senegal.
Ivory Coast manager Francois Zahoui cut a satisfied figure after Thursday's 2-0 win. Thursday's opening Group B clash pitted 2010 hosts Angola up against Sudan, who ended a 36-year Nations Cup goal famine as they came from behind twice to draw 2-2. Tunisia and Gabon can join the Ivorians and Equatorial Guinea in the knockout stages if they come away victorious from their respective Group C ties with Niger and Morocco in Libreville on Friday.
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