Following a thrilling 5-2 penalty shootout victory over Burkina Faso at the Stade Larbi Zaouli in Casablanca on Friday, Cote d’Ivoire secured third place at the TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Young Elephants maintained composure in the shootout, converting all four of their spot kicks while Burkina Faso missed two of their first three attempts, following a hotly contested 1-1 tie in normal time.

After a corner caused havoc in the Ivorian defenders, Halidou Diakité blasted home from the heart of the box to give Burkina Faso a well-earned lead in the 28th minute.

Using fast transitions and muscular midfield duels, the Stallions exerted pressure throughout extended periods of dominance in the first half.

But Cote d’Ivoire regrouped in the second half, inspired by impactful substitutions, and eventually levelled the contest in the 84th minute.

Alynho Haïdara, one of the substitutes, turned home from close range after a well-worked move that started on the left flank.

The final minutes of normal time were frenetic. Burkina Faso were reduced to 10 men when Prince Ouédraogo was shown a straight red card following a VAR review in the 90th minute.

Cote d’Ivoire pressed for a late winner, but the Burkinabe defence held firm, taking the match to penalties.

In the shootout, Cote d’Ivoire were flawless. Goals from Haïdara, Souhalio Bamba, Vaboué Doumbia, and Yannis Touali sealed the victory after Burkina Faso’s Mikael Coulibaly and Comi Ouattara saw their efforts saved.

The result ensures a podium finish for Cote d’Ivoire, who will take heart from their resilience after trailing for most of the match.

For Burkina Faso, the defeat was a bitter end to a promising campaign that saw them reach the semi-finals with flair and confidence.

Both teams will look back at Morocco 2025 as a valuable learning curve, but it is Cote d’Ivoire who walk away with the bronze medal and a statement of future potential.