Ivory Coast’s bench steals the show in a 3-2 AFCON thriller vs Gabon
1 January 2026
Match Recap
Ivory Coast staged a dramatic comeback to beat Gabon 3-2 in the third group game of the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 in Morocco.
Jean-Philippe Krasso opened the scoring just before halftime in the 44th minute, while substitute Ivan Joysand equalized late at 84, and Bazoumana Touré grabbed the stoppage-time winner.
The victory underscored the decisive impact of Ivory Coast’s substitutes, lifting them to the top of the all-time AFCON bench-goal list with 19 goals, tied with Egypt.
Standings and Context
Morocco sit second on the bench-goals list with 16, followed by Ghana and Senegal with 15 each.
Gabon had taken the early lead, but Ivory Coast’s late surge—thanks to fresh legs—shifted momentum and sealed their group-stage victory.
In broader AFCON history, the Ivorians now head the bench-goal chart alongside Egypt, a nod to the depth of their squad.
Punchlines: If the bench keeps scoring, the coach might start selling seats on the bench—the only place where drama comes with a chair. And if substitutions were a sport, the subs would be world champions of the bench-press.
