Three second half goals were enough to propel African champions Cote d’Ivoire to a 3-0 win over Uganda Cranes in an international friendly played at the New York University Stadium in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on Wednesday.
The two teams used the build-up to prepare for the 2017 Total Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) which runs from January 14 to February 5 in Gabon.
Jonathan Adjo Kodjia who features for Aston Villa in the English Premier League netted the opening goal with a neat header past substitute goalkeeper Robert Odongkara.
First choice goalkeeper Denis Onyango who also won the African player of the year award for 2016 during the Glo/CAF awards last week did not return after the interval.
The goal resulted from a Serge Aurier cross that the Uganda Cranes defenders failed to stop giving Kodjia room to head the ball. The African champions continued to put pressure which paid off when Wilfried Zaha who features for Crystal Palace in the English Premier League got his first goal in an Ivory Coast jersey.
Zaha who played his second match for Cote d’Ivoire made a brilliant run and placed the ball past Uganda’s goalkeeper Odongkara.
After a better display in the first half, the Uganda Cranes seemed disjointed as the Ivory Coast team run rings at them. Head coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic made more changes for Uganda which did not pay off.
Aurier also got his name on the score sheet with a headed goal after 71 minutes. Before the 3-0 loss to Ivory Coast Uganda Cranes beat Slovakia 3-1 on Sunday and also lost 2-0 away to Tunisia last week.
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