Côte d'Ivoire delivered a fairy tale ending to the 2023 CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Nigeria at home at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan on Sunday 11th February 2024
The hosts scored two second-half goals to overcome the Super Eagles and then Captured their third AFCON title, adding to their trophy cabinets that's the 1992 and 2015 Afcon trophies. Côte d'Ivoire succeeded on a revenge after their 1-0 defeat to the Nigerians in the group stages of the tournament.
The Elephants routine a treacherous path towards the final, including a change in head coach following their 4-0 defeat to Equatorial Guinea in their final group-stage match. The Ivory Coast sacked head coach Jean-Louis Gasset and replaced him with former midfielder Emerse Fae who was the assistant coach , before they advanced to the last 16.
Fae led the Elephants into the final following a 1-0 victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo in the semi-final. Nigeria was seen in the contest as the favourites even though Côte d'Ivoire was enjoying the home-ground advantage.
The hosts called the shots in the opening 15 minutes of the contest, where they made persistent assaults on the Nigerian goal.
But the Ivorians could not capitalise on all the possession they enjoyed in the first half of the match, with Nigeria getting the rub of the green late in the first stanza.
Nigerian captain William Troost-Ekong found the breakthrough against the flow of play in the 38th minute. Troost-Ekong found some air in the box, and jumped over the Ivorian defenders to head the ball into the back of the net .
The goal lulled the stadium into silence as the hosts went into the half-time break lossing to the Nigerians 1-0.
Ivory Coast gave life to the game their way back into the contest courtesy of a Franck Kessie's header in the 62nd minute to even the scores and to keep their hopes intact.
The Elephants then gave a knockout blow nine minutes from time by Sebastien Haller. Haller hoofed a cross from Simon Adinga into the back of the net to
help them secure their third Afcon trophy
Nigeria then forced so many balls but the Ivorian defence held firm to deny the Super Eagles a fourth AFCON crown. Instead, Ivory Coast completed a magnificent comeback to succeed out as African champions for the third time.
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