MARRAKESH - Manchester United winger Amad Diallo starred as Ivory Coast beat Burkina Faso 3-0 on Monday and became the first Africa Cup of Nations defending champions to reach the quarter-finals since 2010.
Diallo struck the opening goal and created the second for Yan Diomande before half-time. Substitute Bazoumana Toure completed the scoring in the closing minutes in Marrakesh.
Ivory Coast now travel south to Moroccan coastal city Agadir, where they will face record seven-time champions Egypt on Saturday for a semi-finals place.
Since Egypt successfully defended the title in Angola 16 years ago, seven title holders have failed to reach the last eight.
Cameroon and Senegal made last-16 exits, Zambia, Ivory Coast and Algeria were eliminated after the group stage, and Egypt and Nigeria failed to qualify for the tournament.
Burkinabe defender Adamo Nagalo was yellow-carded after just five minutes for fouling Diallo. However, the Red Devil disappointed from the resulting free-kick, firing embarrassingly wide.
Ivory Coast were dominating possession and captain Franck Kessie was not far off target when he tried to steer a shot into the roof of the net.
There was a sense of inevitability when the title-holders went ahead on 20 minutes. Diallo powered his way past several defenders before striking the ball beyond goalkeeper Herve Koffi
Burkina Faso wanted the goal disallowed, claiming Nagalo had been body checked by Evann Guessand, but a VAR review confirmed the decision of the Sudanese referee to award it.