Cote d'Ivoire beat Mozambique 1-0 on Wednesday night in Marrakesh to launch the defence of their Africa Cup of Nations title.
Amad Diallo scored the only goal of the Group F game at a rain-lashed Stade de Marrakech just after the restart.
Guela Doué swung over a cross from the right, Franck Kessié headed it down for Diallo to lash home past the Mozambican goalkeeper Ernan.
But Cote d'Ivoire failed to assert their authority after the Manchester United striker's opener.
Kessié and Vakoun Bayo were guilty of laring misses and the Ivorians almost paid the price for their lack of precision at the death.
Geny Catamo had a chance to snatch a draw. But after weaving his way through a thicket of Ivorian defenders, the Sporting Portugal winger scuffed his shot.
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In the other Group F tie, Cameroon saw off Gabon 1-0. Etta Eyong scored in the sixth minute for the five-time winners at the Stade Ardrar in Agadir.
In Group E, Burkina Faso left it late to claim the spoils. They scored twice in the nine minutes of second-half stoppage-time to topple 10-man Equatorial Guinea.
A player down following Basilo Ndong's dismissal for a second yellow card in the 50th minute, defender Marvin Anieboh put Equatorial Guinea ahead in the 85th minute.
But as they dug in for a famous victory, Georgi Minoungou levelled and before Equatorial Guinea could digest the heartbreak, the Bayer Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba hit the winner.
There was no such drama for Algeria. They overpowered 10-man Sudan 3-0 in Rabat.
Skipper Riyad Mahrez opened the scoring in the second minute at the Moulay Hassan Stadium in Rabat.
Sudan went down to 10 men just before half-time when Salaheldin Adil picked up his second booking.
Mahrez added his second on the hour mark and Ibrahim Maza rifled in the third in the 87th minute for the 2019 champions who have failed to advance past the group stages in the two tournaments since that triumph.
"I am happy to have got the three points," said Mahrez. "It is a long time since we did that at the Cup of Nations so the main thing for us was to win."
The 34-year-old added: "I have enough experience to know that this is just one match and we need to keep our feet on the ground."
