Ivory Coast wins African championship.

Host nation Ivory Coast defeated Nigeria 2-1 in the final of the 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) on the evening of February 11th, completing a fairytale story after advancing from the group stage in third place.

In the group stage, William Troost-Ekong scored the only goal to help Nigeria defeat Ivory Coast 1-0. In the final, the captain and central defender continued to shine, heading in a corner kick in the 38th minute to put the visitors ahead once again. However, in Ivory Coast's dominant performance, that was the "Super Eagles'" first and only shot on target. The home team controlled the match with 67% possession and 13 shots on goal.

After conceding a goal, Ivory Coast showed the same determination and patience they had displayed throughout the knockout rounds. Seko Fofana's long-range shots created pressure, Michael Seri orchestrated the ball across the pitch, and Simon Adingra constantly exploited Nigeria's right flank. In the 62nd minute, Ivory Coast's attacks paid off. From a corner kick, Adingra assisted Franck Kessie to equalize 1-1.

Haller (right) celebrates the winning goal in the 2-1 AFCON 2024 final between Ivory Coast and Nigeria on the evening of February 11 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Photo: AP

After equalizing, Ivory Coast continued to dominate. Meanwhile, Nigeria were unable to respond despite having Victor Osimhen, Samuel Chukwueze, and Ademola Lookman. In the 81st minute, Adingra completed his double assist and secured the victory for his team. After a speedy run down the left wing, the Brighton winger delivered a perfect cross for Sebastien Haller to volley in the winning goal.

Haller scored his second goal at AFCON 2024. Earlier, in the semi-final, the striker, who nearly retired due to testicular cancer in late 2022, scored the only goal to secure a 1-0 victory against Congo.

When the referee blew the final whistle, Ivory Coast's interim coach, Emerse Fae, covered his face and wept. He had previously worked as an assistant to former coach Jean Louis-Gasset and had no direct coaching experience, so he was only a temporary solution when the Ivory Coast Football Federation couldn't find a replacement after Louis-Gasset resigned after the first three group stage matches. But within just 18 days of taking the job, Fae and his team wrote a fairytale story with their African Cup of Nations victory.

The Ivory Coast national team celebrates their AFCON 2024 championship victory after defeating Nigeria 2-1 in the final in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Photo: Reuters

Ivory Coast's qualification for the final was like a miracle. The host nation only won against Guinea-Bissau 2-0, before losing to Nigeria 0-1 and Equatorial Guinea 0-4, dropping to third place in Group A. Had their rivals Ghana and Zambia been luckier, Ivory Coast would not have secured a place in the Round of 16, finishing last among the four best third-placed teams.

However, after their narrow escape, Ivory Coast went on to cause a series of upsets. They successively defeated the eventual champions Senegal 5-4 on penalties in the round of 16, came from behind to beat Mali 2-1 in the quarter-finals, defeated Congo 1-0 in the semi-finals, and beat Nigeria in their rematch in the final.

Ivory Coast won their third AFCON title, following their previous victories in 1992 and 2015. They matched Nigeria's record for AFCON titles. Meanwhile, Egypt remains at the top with seven championships, just ahead of Cameroon with five and Ghana with four.

Thanh Quy

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