Africa Cup of Nations holders Ivory Coast mounted a late comeback to beat Gabon and top Group F on goals scored ahead of Cameroon.
The Elephants trailed 2-0 by the 21st minute, but Jean-Philippe Krasso pulled one back just before the break by tapping in Wilfried Zaha’s square ball.
The Ivorians rarely threatened in the second half until Aston Villa forward Evann Guessand headed in a corner to equalise with six minutes remaining and set up a frantic finale.
Bazoumana Toure then completed the turnaround in the first of five added minutes, with the wideman’s diving header from Christopher Operi’s left-wing cross sparking wild celebrations.
Yan Diomande thought he had made it 4-2 from a late counter-attack, but the goal was ruled out for offside earlier in the move after a check by the video assistant referee (VAR).
With the Elephants drawing until late on, Cameroon had been set to top the group by two points courtesy of their 2-1 win over Mozambique.
Ivory Coast will now face Burkina Faso in the last 16 in Marrakesh on Tuesday, 6 January (19:00 GMT), with the victory sparing them a more challenging route to the final.
Fightbacks and late drama were a hallmark of Ivory Coast’s triumph on home soil at the 2023 edition last year, and Emerse Fae’s men had to dig deep once more after leaving themselves with a mountain to climb midway through the first half.
Gabon had already been eliminated after defeats by Cameroon and Mozambique, but Guelor Kanga converted a rebound to put the Panthers ahead in the 11th minute.
Ten minutes later, Denis Bouanga made it 2-0 as the forward sent a brilliant first-time finish into the far corner.
Krasso’s goal before the break proved crucial, but the introduction of Manchester United wing-back Amad and Guessand amid a raft of second-half changes eventually helped turn the tide.
The Ivorians had been heading for a last-16 clash with South Africa before they moved into a winning position, and would have been in the same half of the draw as hosts Morocco and fellow continental heavyweights Algeria and Nigeria.
Yet Burkina Faso will still pose a challenge to Fae’s side, who are now in the same section as record seven-time champions Egypt and 2021 winners Senegal at a tournament in which all of the top 12-ranked sides have progressed to the knockout stage.
