Ivory Coast manager Ibrahim Kamara has heaped praise on his side after their 1-0 victory over Mali at the Africa Cup of Nations, regardless of the intense pressure they were put under.

The Elephants were pinned back for large parts of the Round of 16 ties, but a Wilfried Zaha strike with 15 minutes to go secured the win for the two-time champions.

Kamara effusively paid tribute to his players for their fighting spirit and toughness to withstand the barrage of pressure from their West African rivals.

Having never lost to the Eagles at the biennial showpiece, the slender success on Monday evening increased the Elephants’ unbeaten run against the Malians at Afcon to five games.

Ivory Coast will now face Algeria in the quarter-finals of the Nations Cup.