Côte d’Ivoire came back strong in the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, beating Burkina Faso 4-1 in their opening Group B game on Monday night.

This is the Lady Elephants’ first time in the tournament in 12 years. They were clearly the better team in the first half and managed the game well overall.

Rebecca Elloh scored first with a penalty. Ines Konan got two goals, with assists from Rosemonde Kouassi and Nsira Ouedraogo.

Burkina Faso managed to pull one back through Adama Congo early in the second half, but Côte d’Ivoire quickly regained their lead when Ouedraogo scored again.

It was a great start for coach Reynald Pedros, who had asked the team to play their hearts out in Morocco. The players showed they were well-prepared and confident, blending experienced players with younger talent.

Captain Bernadette Amani Kakounan was happy to be back at WAFCON, and the Lady Elephants proved it with a determined performance.

This win is a good start for Côte d’Ivoire, especially following Tanzania’s surprise win against South Africa. They’ve put themselves in a good position to reach the quarter-finals, as the top two teams from each group move on.