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Hosts Ivory Coast Make Perfect Start in African Nations Cup

People celebrate in the streets as Ivory Coast gears up to host the Africa Cup of Nations which begins on Saturday January 13, 2024 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. © Luc Gnago, Reuters
People celebrate in the streets as Ivory Coast gears up to host the Africa Cup of Nations which begins on Saturday January 13, 2024 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. © Luc Gnago, Reuters
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Hosts Ivory Coast Make Perfect Start in African Nations Cup

People celebrate in the streets as Ivory Coast gears up to host the Africa Cup of Nations which begins on Saturday January 13, 2024 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. © Luc Gnago, Reuters
People celebrate in the streets as Ivory Coast gears up to host the Africa Cup of Nations which begins on Saturday January 13, 2024 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. © Luc Gnago, Reuters

Hosts Ivory Coast started the African Nations Cup with a 2-0 win over Guinea-Bissau in the opening match in Abidjan on
Saturday. The two teams' other opponents in Group A are Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea.
The favorites for the 34th edition of the men's continental tournament are expected to be defending champions Senegal and last time's runners-up Egypt, along with World Cup 2022 semi-finalists Morocco.
Three matches are scheduled to be held later, Sunday, the second day of the tournament, where the Egypt national team will meet its Mozambican counterpart, the Nigeria national team will play with Equatorial Guinea, and the Ghana national team will face its Cape Verdean counterpart.

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Wirtz Returns to Help Leverkusen Beat In-Form Frankfurt 2-1 in Bundesliga

Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz celebrates scoring during the Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt at BayArena, Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday Oct. 19, 2024. (Marius Becker/dpa via AP)
Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz celebrates scoring during the Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt at BayArena, Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday Oct. 19, 2024. (Marius Becker/dpa via AP)
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Wirtz Returns to Help Leverkusen Beat In-Form Frankfurt 2-1 in Bundesliga

Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz celebrates scoring during the Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt at BayArena, Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday Oct. 19, 2024. (Marius Becker/dpa via AP)
Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz celebrates scoring during the Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt at BayArena, Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday Oct. 19, 2024. (Marius Becker/dpa via AP)

Florian Wirtz returned from injury to help Bayer Leverkusen defeat in-form Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 in the Bundesliga on Saturday, when the latter was aggrieved not to be awarded a penalty in stoppage time.

Hugo Ekitiké looked set to score by heading the ball into an unguarded net after a mix up between goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky and Jonathan Tah, but Tah rushed back to put the airborne Ekitiké off balance and miss the ball.

Frankfurt’s protests went unheeded and Victor Boniface’s 72nd-minute goal proved to be the winner for the defending champion.

Boniface had an early chance from the penalty spot but Kevin Trapp saved his poorly struck spot kick in the ninth minute.

Frankfurt’s Omar Marmoush showed how it’s done seven minutes later, firing a penalty inside the left post after a clumsy challenge from Robert Andrich. It was Marmoush’s ninth goal in seven Bundesliga games, and it stretched his six-game scoring run.

But Andrich atoned by equalizing in the 25th after playing a one-two with Amine Adli and then Martin Terrier before a cool finish inside the far post.

Boniface finally scored when Trapp deflected substitute Wirtz’s cross kindly for a simple header.

Leverkusen said on Tuesday that Wirtz injured his ankle while on international duty with Germany.

Also, Xavi Simons starred for Leipzig to beat Mainz 2-0 away, Freiburg routed Augsburg 3-1 at home, Borussia Mönchengladbach defeated Heidenheim 3-2, and Hoffenheim defeated winless Bochum 3-1.