Sebastien Haller was another hero for Ivory Coast as the Elephants came from behind to beat Nigeria and win the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations on home soil.
The striker, who scored the winner in the semi-final just 13 months after returning from testicular cancer, used the toe of Simon Adigra’s cross nine minutes after a second-half comeback and was on fire.
William Troost-Ekong had given Nigeria the lead seven minutes before the end of the first half when the midfielder stepped up to make a good run and head into the corner from nine yards.
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Franck Kessie scored a header in the 62nd minute after a long shot from Adigra’s corner. After a remarkable journey to the final, marked by the departure of coach Jean-Louis Gasset after two defeats in one game, the Ivorians won the third title of the continent with a well-deserved victory.
Relive Ivory Coast beat Nigeria in CAN 2023 final
The West Africans added to their first World Cup victories in 1992 and 2015 and became their first tournament winners since Egypt lifted the trophy in 2006. Interim coach Emerse Fae led Ivory Coast to the round of 16, which included impressive wins over Senegal, the defending champions and Mali after early draws in both games.
Ivory Coast spent more than $1 billion (£0.79) to host the tournament, investing a similar amount to improve the country’s infrastructure, and Ivory Coast President Alassane Outtara took part in the post-match ceremony at the eponymous stadium. him. The Elephants collect $7m (£5.54m) in prize money, while Nigeria receive $4m from the Confederation of African Football.
Nigeria, who have won the continental championship three times themselves, are unbeaten in the finals, including a 1-0 defeat to the Ivory Coast in the group stage, but the Super Eagles rarely announced themselves after sitting out most of the tournament. Adingra promotes the recovery of Elephants. Sébastien Haller scored Ivory Coast’s goal against Nigeria at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nation
Ivory Coast dominated much of the first half in front of a heated crowd at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium, but Nigeria did not allow themselves to sit back and succumb to the pressure.
The game came to life after the half-hour break, Nigeria goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali headed Adigra at the narrow post before Nigerian left-back Zaidu Sanusi won a corner after Odilon Kossounou blocked his effort. Ademola Lookman’s corner was headed high by Ivory Coast striker Jean Michael Seri at close range and Troost-Ekong jumped over Serge Aurier to head the ball across goal and past the Elephants goalkeeper Yahia Fofana.
The Ivorians came out with new life after the break, with Adigra hot on the heart of their best season on the left side. Nwabali pushed away a dangerous cross from the Brighton winger and Calvin Bassey made a crucial save to prevent an equalizer after Max Gradel had pounced on a loose ball.
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Nwabali had to dive to his right to deflect a long shot from Kossounou, and the Elephants equalized from a corner as the Nigerian defenders could not collect Kessie. The Super Eagles had a chance to regain the lead when Troost-Ekong headed in Ademola Lookman’s free kick, but the moment was inspired by Haller when the Borussia Dortmund man ran his right foot to beat Adigra pass in front of Nwabali.
Ivory Coast wins Africa Cup of Nations after defeating Nigeria
Emerse Fae coached Nice’s youth team and was a defender for French Ligue 1 club Clermont before becoming assistant coach of Ivory Coast in May 2022.
The tournament, which was postponed from the scheduled time in June and July last year due to weather problems in West Africa, will be remembered long after every goal was scored. , the unrelenting angst and energy evident for an unrelenting drama. Much of that help came from the hosts, who looked set to be eliminated early on after a 4-0 defeat by Equatorial Guinea in their Group A final.
Gasset stepped down as coach and Fae managed to instill new confidence when he inherited a team that had a second life as one of the top four teams in the third round. The breakthrough came as Morocco – whose team-mate Ivory Coast captain Max Gradel carried the national flag before lifting the trophy – defeated Zambia in the final group stage to prevent the South Africans from stealing their place.
The elephants fans were obviously left in shock after what was a record home win, but rallied behind a team that showed incredible morale to eliminate Senegal and Mali in two playoffs. , before the usual defeat against DR Congo in the semi-finals. . Fae, who was part of the Ivory Coast team that beat Egypt in 2006 – a campaign he played every minute of – has won Africa’s biggest prize in just his fourth game in charge.
The 40-yard stand was set to keep the hosts calm as they crashed out of the race against a sea of oranges in the final. Ivory Coast became the twelfth nation to win the World Cup, while Nigeria won their fifth exhibition match – their second in Abidjan after Cameroon won in 1984.
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