Cote D’Ivoire have opened a five-point lead at the top of Group G in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers after they defeated Sierra Leone 4-1 at the Laurent Pokou Stadium in San Pedro on Friday.

Goals from Nicolas Pepe, Franck Kessie (two) and Oumar Diakite have put the Elephants on the cusp of ensuring that they will be present in Morocco in late 2025 to defend their Nations Cup title.

Ivory Coast boast a full haul of nine points from three games, with the remainder of the group made up of Zambia (five points), Chad (two points) and Sierra Leone (one point).

Ivory Coast got off to a flying start, as Jean-Philippe Krasso teed up Nicolas Pepe to sweep home a low, left-footed shot in just the second minute of the match and put the hosts in early control.

Pepe was influential again in the 35th minute when he was tripped up inside the 18-yard area to earn the hosts a penalty. However, Franck Kessie saw his effort from 12 yards rattle the frame of the goal and bounce away to safety.

The visitors made a double change even before half time, with Mustapha Bundu and Hindolo Mustapha coming into the fray, and they were rewarded with an equaliser in the 43rd minute, as the latter substitute squared from the right for Alhassan Koroma to fire home a low drive for 1-1.

Yet the Elephants reclaimed the lead six minutes into the second half, as Seko Fofana did great work down the left flank before crossing for Kessie, who made up for his earlier penalty miss with a well-placed header for 2-1.

And Kessie netted a second in the 75th minute, this time successfully scoring from the spot to make it 3-1. The penalty was won by Beni Traore, who was tripped in the box by a clumsy challenge from goalkeeper Mohamed Kamara.

Another penalty arrived just over 10 minutes later, and this time Oumare Diakite stepped up and crashed a shot home to put the cherry on top for the Elephants.

The teams will face off again in a return match on Tuesday 15 October, set for the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex in Monrovia, Liberia.

Ivory Coast (1) 4 (Pepe 2’, Kessie 51’ 75’ pen, Diakite 87’ pen)

Sierra Leone (1) 1 (Alh. Koroma 44’)

Iv Coast: Y. Fofana, S. Fofana (H. Traore 78’), Guessand (B. Traore 64’), Haller, Kessie, Krasso (Diakite 65’), Ndicka, Operi, Pepe (Kouassi 85’), Seri (Doue 78’), Singo

S Leone: M. Kamara, Bakayoko, Caulker, Fornah, Jalloh (Bangura 73’), Kabia, Kallon (Bundu 41’), Alu. Koroma (Conteh 78’), Alh. Koroma (Kaikai 78’), Samadia, Sillah (Mustapha 41’)