The miracle occurred: Côte d’Ivoire, close to elimination three weeks ago, won the African Cup of Nations in front of its audience, Sunday evening in Abidjan, by overthrowing Nigeria with a decisive goal from Sébastien Haller (2-1).
The delirium is total. There
Ivory Coast won the African Cup of Nations 2023 she organized (in these months of January and February 2024), Sunday evening, by beating Nigeria in the final (2-1), in an Alassane-Ouattara stadium in the middle of delirium. For the third star of the country, after the coronations in 1995 and in 2015 (with Yaya Touré but without Didier Drogba).
As a reminder, the Elephants were almost eliminated after their 4-0 defeat against Equatorial Guinea, during the third group match on January 22. Jean-Louis Gasset threw in the towel, his assistant Emerse Faé took over the reins of this miraculously qualified team for the knockout stages as 3rd in chicken. A qualification for penalties against Senegal, the reigning champion, launched a legendary course.
Haller in heroes, what a symbol!
And the final of this Sunday evening also offered its share of twists and turns, since the Super Eagles of Victor Osimhen opened the scoring on their only occasion of the first period, of a head of the defender and captain William Troost-Ekong (38th). The Ivorians have always believed it, equalizing first by Franck Kessié, also of the head (62nd).
And the miracle appeared ten minutes from the end of regulation time.
Sébastien Haller was the last hero of a whole people. The only goalscorer at the semi-final against the DR Congo four days earlier, the 1.90 m center-forward, suffering from testicles cancer in the summer of 2022, gave the advantage to Côte d’Ivoire on a center of Simon Adingra (81st). The party could begin!
