AFCON 2025 / Round of 16: Emerse Faé praises the Elephants' performance after their resounding victory against Burkina Faso

Marrakech – Ivory Coast's national coach, Emerse Faé, praised the control shown by his players during the large victory (3-0) against the Stallions of Burkina Faso, Tuesday January 6, 2026 in Marrakech, in the round of 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2025 organized in Morocco.

In the post-match press conference, the Ivorian coach praised a successful performance, marked by constant dominance in the game and a high intensity imposed on the opponent.

“We were present in possession. We played with intensity, quickly regained possession and scored goals. The players followed the game plan very well,” said Emerse Faé.

According to him, this constant pressure greatly disturbed the Burkinabe, especially in the first period, where they had difficulty expressing themselves.

“Our players are intelligent offensively. They can make the difference at any moment. For Burkina Faso, it wasn’t simple: they didn’t know whether to push forward or stay deep,” he explained.

The coach also expressed his delight at the collective strength of his team, capable of imposing themselves authoritatively and without conceding a goal, thus confirming the Elephants' growing strength in the competition.

However, Emerse Faé is already urging everyone to stay focused on the rest of the tournament. For him, the most important thing is yet to come, with the quarter-final against Egypt.

“Mohamed Salah is a great player, but we are playing against Egypt. We will prepare for this match seriously. If we want to go all the way, we will have to be able to face all teams,” he assured.

True to his message since the start of the AFCON, the Ivorian coach refuses any euphoria, despite Ivory Coast's status as title holders.

“We remain calm. We are working quietly and without overconfidence. We are not talking about the title yet,” he concluded.

The reigning African champions, Ivory Coast, will face Egypt, who beat Benin (3-1), this Saturday in Marrakech, for a place in the semi-finals of the 2025 AFCON.