Ivory Coast and Cameroon share spoils in clash of Afcon heavyweights after freak own goal

Ivory Coast 1-1 Cameroon: Amad Diallo’s stunning strike broke the deadlock before a freak own goal levelled things five minutes later

A freak own goal earned Cameroon a draw against the holders (AP)

Manchester United's Amad Diallo was on target but Cameroon hit back to hold Ivory Coast to a 1-1 draw in their Africa Cup of Nations clash in Marrakesh.

Amad put Ivory Coast ahead after 51 minutes of the Group F encounter when he raced onto a long ball from deep and curled in a shot from the edge of the area.

The lead lasted just five minutes as Junior Tchamadeu's shot took a wicked deflection off Ghislain Konan and looped into the net.

Junior Tchamadeu wheels away after helping deliver Cameroon’s equaliser (AP)

Konan had inadvertently gone close to scoring at the right end in the first half when his deep cross deceived Cameroon goalkeeper Devis Epassy and dropped onto the bar.

Cameroon also hit the woodwork before the break through Christian Kofane, while Bryan Mbeumo saw a vicious free-kick just evade the goal.

Both sides remain unbeaten and now have four points from two games.

Elsewhere in Group F, Mozambique claimed their first ever Afcon victory in a thrilling 3-2 win over Gabon to keep their hopes of qualification into the knockout stage alive.

Beaten in their tournament curtain-raiser by Ivory Coast, Mozambique scored twice before half-time as Faizal Bangal headed home and Geny Catamo netted from the penalty spot.

Former Arsenal and Chelsea forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang pulled one back before the break but Diogo Calila restored the two-goal cushion after half-time, which was ultimately enough to seal a maiden win for Mozambique in this tournament at the 17th attempt despite Alex Moucketou-Moussounda halving the deficit again with 14 minutes to play.

Diogo Calila’s goal proved the difference on a historic day for Mozambique (AFP via Getty Images)

Algeria joined Nigeria and Egypt in the last 16 with a 1-0 win over Burkina Faso, with Riyad Mahrez’s first-half penalty proving the difference.

Algeria captain Mahrez converted from the spot in the 23rd minute, after Ismahila Ouedraogo's foul on Rayan Ait-Nouri, to notch his third goal of the tournament and earn victory for the Group E leaders, who now sit on six points.

Having beaten Equatorial Guinea in their opening game, Burkina Faso will now clash with Sudan to decide who joins Algeria in the top two, with an own goal from Saul Coco seeing Sudan seal a precious three points earlier in the day in a 1-0 win over Equatorial Guinea.