In a bid to become the 9th different host nation to win the Africa Cup of Nations(AFCON), the 2 time champions, Ivory Coast, put up a phenomenal display of grit and discipline at the Charles Konan Banny stadium last night to oust defending champions Senegal on penalties to advance to the quarter-final stage.
The circumstances that led to Ivory Coast qualifying for the Round of 16 was somewhat precarious; They were drubbed by Equatorial Guinea in their last group A outing 4-0. A result which left them in 3rd place in group A with little to no hope of progression.
However, with the newly introduced format of the 3rd best placed teams being able to advance to the knockout stages, the host were beneficiaries of this and progressed as one of the best 3rd placed sides.
Senegal on the other hand were roaring their way past their opponents with ease— In what looked like a potential title defense. The Terranga lions were the only side to earn maximum points in the group phase of the finals, leaving fans in Dakar buoyed by the feat.
Senegal, who had made it as finalist in the last two AFCON editions,started the game the better of the two sides;Sadio Mané ran down the byline before marginally keeping the ball in play. He then found Habib Diallo with a precise cutback cross on his weaker left foot. Diallo then steadied himself, brought the ball down on his chest,before firing in from close range into the top corner to put the defending champions in the lead.
The Charles Konan Banny stadium was kept mum by the Senegalese players and a small sect of their fanbase, just a little under 5,000, with Ivorian faithfuls looking on in trepidation, giving their previous 4-0 trouncing by Equatorial Guinea.
Senegal’s earliest goal of the tournament,4 minutes, proved worrisome. But Ivory Coast managed to dust themselves off the ground and grew into the game as the match wore on.
Seko Fofana came close in finding a response for the host after bringing down the ball down on his chest and racing through on goal, but his acute-angled effort was saved by the feet of Senegal’s goalkeeper, Edouard Mendy.
Mendy’s save was one of the major highlights in a half that had both sides sticking to their tactical approaches. The Terranga lions went into the interval with their tails up as Habib Diallo’s fine strike from point blank range proved to be the difference between the sides.
After the recess, the game had a different outlook as both sides went all out in search of a win. For Senegal, they were bent on putting day light between themselves and the host,while Ivory Coast were itching to get back on level pegging.
The pendulum had swang from what seemed to be a game of tactical prowess to a game of bookings, fouls and challenges. Senegalese duo Camara and goalscorer Diallo were both booked by referee Pierre Atcho for cynical challenges.
However, Senegalese icon Sadio Mane almost doubled the lead for the defending champions after a lovely one-two with Ismaila Sarr, but the former’s strike went agonizingly wide of Yahia Fofana’s right hand post in the 73rd minute.
Mané was instantaneously made to rue his missed opportunity 3 minutes later with Ivorian substitute, Nicolas Pepe racing through on goal before being brought down abruptly by Edouard Mendy, giving away a spot kick to the host in the process.
Although the initial on-field decision by Pierre Atchon saw nothing wrong with the challenge, he was called to the monitors for consultation. After the Video Assistant referees(Var) had intervened, he pointed to the spot and dished out a yellow card to Edouard Mendy for the infringement.
Franck Kessie, who was left out of the starting XI by interim Coach Emerse Faé, and had just come on for Ibrahim Sangare, stepped up and expertly dispatched the penalty from 12 yards to send 15,000 Ivorians into delerium, giving Ivory Coast a life line with their backs against the wall.
Kessie’s strike signaled the end of a frantic finale, with the host taking the defending champions the extra mile into extra time.
The next 30 minutes of the game saw a more measured and composed approach from both ends as both managers kept their cards close to their chest. Aliou Cissé showed in-game managing experience throughout the period and look very determined to nick a win, while his opposite number, Emerse Faé, who had no prior first team coaching experience under his belt, proved his tactical acumen to the footballing world.
The inability of either side to strike in stoppage time meant the game had to be decided from the spot.
After a nail-biting shootout, which saw 10 kicks played with 5 apiece from both sides, Moussa Niakhate was culpable for causing emotional distress and unrest in Dakar as his effort struck the upright from the spot, leaving Franck Kessie, who had converted a penalty in regulation time to coolly slot home the winner and send Ivory Coast through to the Quarter-final.
‘Pas De Gasset Pas De Problem ‘
‘Pas De Gasset Pas De Problem’, which implies ‘No Gasset, no problem’ in French, was reverberating in the stands at the blast of the full-time whistle and was on the lip of the 15,000 Ivorian spectators who made their way to the Charles Konan Banny Stadium.
Ivory Coast came into the clash against Senegal with unrest and emotional tantrums from their camp, following the resignation of Louis Gasset from his role as head coach.
The bottom line had been drawn for the 70-year old French-born gaffer Louis Gasset, who was at the helm of affairs for Ivory Coast when the tournament kicked off. However, losses agaisnt Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea led to the resignation of the manager, who was seen to have largely under performed on home soil. His 4-0 loss against Equatorial Guinea at the 60,000 Alassane Ouattara stadium, leading to fans revolt in the aftermath of the game was the culminating point of series of defeat and underwhelming displays.
The Ivorians had spent all week looking to replace the departed Louis Gasset and went all the way in making an approach for former manager Hervé Renard, who led the team to their second AFCON title in 2015. Their offer was outrightly declined after having handed it over to the French Football Federation,who were unwilling to ‘loan’ Renard to Ivory Coast for the remainder of the tournament as he is currently honoring his contractual agreement with the French National Women’s side.
In the midst of all the controversies and mayhem surrounding the Ivorians and their managerial issues was Emerse Faé, an assistant manager with the team who had no prior professional first-team coaching experience.
Faé was tasked to prepare the side to face Senegal and did so brilliantly with two bold calls in dropping Franck Kessie and Christian Kouamne for Michel Seri and veteran Max Gradel,which proved decisive.
His decisions proved efficient and effective as Ivory Coast were able to eliminate defending champions Senegal to set up a Quarter- final clash with either Mali or Burkina Faso.
Defending champion Voodoo persists!
Aliou Cissé and his charges would feel undone by the final outcome of yesterday’s clash with Ivory Coast,as they were on course to end a 14-year-voodoo haunting defending champions at the finals.
Undoubtedly, Senegal can take a look back at the tournament and pat themselves on the back after their impressive group run,which saw them score 8 goals and concede just one. But the Terranga Lions, who were finalist in the last two editions would look back at the overall result and curse their stars.
Senegal were beaten finalist in 2019 by Algeria but managed to defeat Egypt in the last edition to clinch their first ever AFCON crown. The lions were aiming to become the first side since Egypt in 2010 to make the AFCON final on 3 consecutive occasions,and also the first side since the Egyptians to win consecutive titles.
An impending issue,which seems to be beyond the reach Aliou Cissé and his side, with no defending champions being able to progress past the Round of 16 since 2010, Senegal became the latest casualties of the predicament as they struggled to translate their impervious and dominant group stage display against Ivory Coast.
The ‘14-year-voodoo’ was on course to be brought to an end when Habib Diallo struck early in the first half in front of the 19,948 spectators at the Charles Konan Banny Stadium. However, the Ivorians proved too hot to handle for the Senegalese as they gave away their lead in the dying embers of the game before losing out in the shootout.
The result left the Senegalese players shattered at full-time. Although they probed throughout the game,not even Sadio Mané,who has the most assists and created the most clear cut chances for the side could spur the side on and save them from the shackles of defeat.
They make their journey back home to Dakar after failing to re write history.
–
Story By :Andrews Sefa Bamfo | univers.ug.edu.gh
