Ismael Traore's goal steers Angers to victory over Dijon in Ligue 1 opener

Ismael Traore scored the only goal of the game as Angers won 1-0 away at Dijon in their Ligue 1 opener on Saturday.

Traore notched the first goal in the 2020-21 French top flight campaign in the 23rd minute after pouncing on a rebound from Sada Thioub's effort.

The Ivory Coast international also put in a solid defensive performance alongside his compatriots Souleyman Doumbia and Abdoulaye Bamba as Angers kept a clean sheet on the road.

Traore and Senegalese attacker Thioub were in action for the entire duration while Algeria's Farid El Melali and Mali's Lassana Coulibaly were introduced in the second half.

For Dijon, Senegalese goalkeeper Alfred Gomis stood between the sticks in the encounter while Gabon duo Didier Ndong and Bruno Ecuele Manga, DR Congo's Glody Ngonda and Cameroon's Ahmad Ngouyamsa were afforded some playing minutes.

A handful of African stars missed Saturday's outing due to various medical reasons including Cameroon's Stephane Bahoken (thigh muscle strain), Morocco's Fouad Chafik (coronavirus), Algeria's Yassine Benzia (hand injury), amongst others.

Saturday's victory shot Angers to the summit of the Ligue 1 table with three points, and they will be eager to build on their opening win when they host Bordeaux in their next Ligue 1 outing on August 30.

Dijon, on the other hand, fell to the bottom of the league table after the defeat. They will be focused on bagging maximum points when they travel to Lyon for their next game on August 28.

Traore has spent his entire professional career in France so far, with previous stints in Ligue 2 clubs Sedan and Brest before moving to Angers in 2015.

The Paris-born defender is a key player for the Ivory Coast on the international scene. He played in every of their matches at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt before their elimination in the quarter-final stage.

He has made 15 appearances for the Elephants since his debut outing in an international friendly match against Austria in November 2012.