By Etienne Mainimo Mengnjo
It was an unforgettable night for host country Côte d’Ivoire as they staged a remarkable comeback to defeat the Super Eagles of Nigeria 2-1 in the finals of the 2023 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The triumph at the Alassane Ouattara stadium on February 11th was a proof to the Ivorians’ resilience after accidentally qualifying for the second round. They scraped their way through before hitting their stride in the knockout stages, displaying an unwavering spirit that propelled them to victory.
Nigeria, with their array of attacking talents, entered this year’s AFCON as strong contenders and at the finals, they were favorites. However, their success in reaching the final was largely attributed to their defensive solidity, conceding only twice throughout the tournament.
Despite the Ivorian’s dominance, it was Nigeria’s captain, William Troost-Ekong, who broke the deadlock with a header from Samuel Chukwueze’s flick-on during the first half.
In the second half, Côte d’Ivoire rallied with renewed determination. Franck Kessie equalized for his team just past the hour-mark, capitalizing on being left unmarked at the back post from a set-piece.
In a thrilling turn of events, the Elephants completed their comeback in the 81st minute when Adingra delivered a precise cross from the left, and former West Harmer player, Sabastian Haller cleverly redirected the ball into the back of the net, securing a 2-1 lead.
As the final whistle sounded, the host nation celebrated an incredible AFCON triumph. Ivory Coast has now joined the ranks of the twelve nations to have host and won the prestigious Nations Cup title, while Nigeria will lament their second final defeat in Abidjan since losing to Cameroon in 1984.
The champions are set to receive a prize of seven million dollars, following CAF’s increase in the winning prize from the five million dollars awarded to the 2022 edition winners. The runners-up will pocket four million dollars, while the third and fourth-placed teams will each receive 2.5 million dollars.
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