Bouake secured a narrow 2:1 victory over AFAD in the opening round of Ligue 1's Regular Season on Sunday afternoon. The hosts started the campaign with three points from their first fixture, while the visitors returned to the bottom of the table with nothing to show for their efforts.
AFAD had come into the match with mixed fortunes from their recent outings. They had shared the spoils twice against Lions of the East End in early September, producing a 2:2 draw followed by a 1:1 stalemate. Before those matches, they had enjoyed a 2:0 win over SOL and a remarkable 8:0 victory against Olympique Sport d'Abobo in May.
Bouake's form had been less consistent in the months leading up to this opener. They had dropped points in three of their last five matches, losing 1:2 to Stella and 1:2 to US Tchologo, though they had also secured victories over SOL and ASEC Mimosas. The 0:0 draw with SOA showed they could grind out results when needed.
The result leaves Bouake in second place after one game, sitting on three points. AFAD remain in thirteenth position, having failed to accumulate any points from their opening fixture. The gap between the two sides in the standings is already significant after just one round of matches.