The elephants of la Côte d’Ivoire will lock horns with the super Eagles of Nigeria on Sunday, February 11, 2024 at the Alassane Ouattara stadium in the final of the 32nd edition of the Total Energies Africa Cup of Nations.
Host nation, Ivory Coast, sealed their place in the final with a 1-0 slender win over the Democratic Republic of Congo in Abdijan.
Sebastien Haller’s second half strike for the host proved to be the decider in a nervy affair, where there was little to any chances throughout the game.
However, Haller managed to steady himself to receive a cross from Max Gradel and guide his attempted half volley into the ground and over the top of Dr Congo’s goalkeeper, Mpazi, to hand Ivory Coast the win.
The Ivorians, who were almost ousted from the competition in the group stages, are now 90 minutes away from rewriting history as the 9th different nation to win the tournament on home soil, and the first to do so since Egypt in 2006.
As history beckons for Ivory Coast, so does reality call. Standing in the way of Ivory Coast and history is three – time winners Nigeria, who were handed a morale-boosting win after going all the way to penalties with South Africa in their semi-final game at the Stade de La Paix.
South Africa showed glimpses of finalist in a hugely one-sided first half. But William Troost Ekong’s penalty put the Super Eagles in the ascendency in the second half until Mokoena leveled the game for Bafana Bafana in dramatic fashion.
Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen had scored what appeared to be his second goal of the tournament and Nigeria’s second goal of the game. However, referee Omar was called to the monitors for a review on an apparent foul on Percy Tau in the build up to Nigeria’s second goal.
Omar was pleased with what he saw on the monitors and chalked off Nigeria’s goal, handing South Africa a penalty at the other end in the final minutes of the game,which was expertly converted by Mokoena.
After both teams failed to deliver any clear-cut chances in extra-time, the game had to be decided from the spot; just as South Africa’s previous game against Cape Verde had been.
Although it was jittery for Nigeria, who would have felt disadvantaged due to the circumstances, the Super Eagles prevailed at the end of the shootout, winning 4-2 in the process and setting up a mouth watering final with host nation Ivory Coast in Abidjan.
Nigeria and Ivory Coast will be squaring off for the second time in the on going competition after the sides had met in the group stages in the second game of the tournament in Abdijan. The Ivorians will he buoyed by their recent resurgence under interim boss Emesere Faé, as they will be looking to avenge their 1-0 loss to the Super Eagles on Matchday 2.
The final will take place at the 60,000 Alassane Ouattara Stadium on February 11,2024.
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Story By: Andrews Sefa Bamfo |univers.ug.edu.gh
