Host Ivory Coast defeated Nigeria 2-1 in the final of the 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) on the evening of February 11, completing a fairy tale after qualifying from the group stage in third place.
In the group stage, William Troost-Ekong scored the only goal as Nigeria defeated Ivory Coast 1-0. In the final, the captain continued to shine when he headed in a corner kick in the 38th minute, putting the visitors ahead once again. However, in the overwhelming match of Ivory Coast, that was the "Super Eagles"' first and only shot on goal. The home team dominated the match with 67% possession and 13 shots.
After conceding the goal, Ivory Coast showed the same determination and patience they had shown since the start of the knockout stage. Seko Fofana pressed with a long-range shot, Michael Seri spread the ball around the pitch, and Simon Adingra continued to cut into Nigeria's right flank. In the 62nd minute, Ivory Coast's attacks paid off. From a corner, Adingra assisted Franck Kessie to equalize 1-1.
Haller (right) celebrates scoring the winning goal 2-1 in the AFCON 2024 final between Ivory Coast and Nigeria on the evening of February 11 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Photo: AP
After the equalizer, Ivory Coast continued to dominate. Meanwhile, Nigeria could not respond despite Victor Osimhen, Samuel Chukwueze and Ademola Lookman. In the 81st minute, Adingra completed his double assist and brought victory to his team. After dribbling at speed down the left wing, the Brighton winger crossed just in time for Sebastien Haller to volley home the decisive goal.
Haller scored his second goal at AFCON 2024. Previously, in the semi-final, the striker who almost retired due to testicular cancer at the end of 2022 scored the only goal to bring a 1-0 victory over Congo.
When the referee blew the whistle to end the final, the interim coach of Ivory Coast, Emerse Fae, covered his face and cried. He had been 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 could not find a replacement when Louis-Gasset resigned after three group stage matches. But within 18 days of taking the job, Fae and the team wrote a fairy tale with the African Cup of Nations.
Ivory Coast celebrates winning the AFCON 2024 championship after the final match against Nigeria 2-1 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Photo: Reuters
Ivory Coast’s run to the final was nothing short of a miracle. The hosts beat Guinea-Bissau 2-0, before losing 1-0 to Nigeria and 4-0 to Equatorial Guinea, dropping to third in Group A. Had their rivals Ghana and Zambia been luckier, Ivory Coast would have missed out on a place in the last 16, finishing last among the four best third-placed teams.
However, after escaping danger, Ivory Coast continued to cause shocks. They successively defeated the champion team Senegal 5-4 on penalties in the round of 16, beat Mali 2-1 in the quarter-finals, defeated Congo 1-0 in the semi-finals, and defeated Nigeria in the rematch in the final.
Ivory Coast won the African Cup of Nations for the third time, after two in 1992 and 2015. They caught up with Nigeria's AFCON titles. Meanwhile, Egypt still leads the way with seven titles, just ahead of Cameroon with five and Ghana with four.
Thanh Quy
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