LIBREVILLE (Gabon): Ivory Coast’s defence of their African Cup title looked shaky on Friday in a 2-2 draw with Congo, and a bumpy field helped Morocco see off Togo 3-1.

The Ivorians dropped out of the quarter-final places with one crucial round left in Group ‘C’.

Although Ivory Coast showed heart to pick themselves up twice after falling behind against Congo, they are still struggling after starting with two draws. Wilfried Bony equalised the first time against Congo with a header after Neeskens Kebano put the Congolese ahead inside 10 minutes with a sweet first-time shot.

Congo responded two minutes after Bony’s equaliser to lead again through Junior Kabananga, left completely unmarked in the 28th to head powerfully home.

Needing a goal, Ivory Coast captain Serey Die surged forward and his deflected shot in the 67th wrong-footed goalkeeper Ley Matampi and rolled past into the bottom right corner.

Die’s goal and his passionate celebration roused his team-mates and the champions finished stronger in Oyem after a sluggish start, with substitute Salomon Kalou’s injury-time goal ruled out for offside when it was touch and go.

Morocco came back from 1-0 down in Friday’s second game to beat Togo 3-1, helped by the Stade d’Oyem’s conspicuously uneven field.

Morocco were 2-1 up heading into the final 20 minutes, but Togo were lifting themselves for one final surge, when Moroccan forward Youssef En-Nesyri unleashed a shot that was fierce but from way out. Togo goalkeeper Kossi Agassa dived to his right and seemingly had it covered, before the ball skipped off a ridge and sailed over him.

The win for Morocco, ironically now coached by Ivory Coast’s 2015 title-winning manager Herve Renard, left this year’s Ivorians in real trouble with a decisive game against Renard’s Morocco to come.

Congo top the group with four points, Morocco have three, Ivory Coast two, and Togo one. Only the top two make the quarter-finals.

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2017