It’s Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire AFCON 2023 Final!

*S’Africa to play third place match against DR Congo on Saturday

Côte d’Ivoire’s Sebastien Haller scored the lone goal winner against DR Congo last night to set up a first ever Africa Cup of Nation clash with Nigeria’s Super Eagles inside the 60,000 capacity Stade Alassane Ouattara in Abidjan on Sunday. 

Eagles defeated the Ivorians 1-0 in the group stage of AFCON 2023.

Jose Peseiro’s wards had earlier yesterday ousted hard-fighting South Africa’s Bafana Bafana 4-2 in penalty shootouts. Regulation and extra time deadlocked 1-1 before the shootouts.

Super Eagles Goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali, and forward, Kelechi Iheanacho, were the heroes for Nigeria during the shootouts where Nwabali saved two penalties, while Iheanacho who came on as a late substitute for Ademola Lookman, sealed Nigeria’s qualification to the final game with the decisive penalty kick goal.

Just like Nigeria did at Algiers ‘90 loosing scandalously 5-1 to hosts Algeria in the opening match, the Ivorians who are hosts of this 2023 edition were beaten 4-0 in their last Group A match and were thought to have crashed out. 

But the Elephants were given a lifeline, finishing as fourth third best team of the group stage to qualify for the knockout. 

Côte d’Ivoire who had sacked Jean-Louis Gasset as boss before scraping through the group stage, needed late goals against both Senegal and Mali to progress to the last four.

Yesterday, the only goal of Côte d’Ivoire cagey contest in Abidjan against DR Congo came in the 65th minute when Sebastien Haller’s volley bounced down into the ground and up over Leopards goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi.

The Borussia Dortmund striker should have opened the scoring just before the break with an unmarked header, and Haller also missed a chance to double the lead when he sent a lob narrowly wide.

DR Congo did not look like getting a late equaliser, although Meschack Elia sent a volley wide of the left-hand upright and Simon Banza then fired well over in injury time.

But interim boss Emerse Fae now has a chance to guide the Elephants to a third continental title, adding to their triumphs in 1992 and 2015, when they face three-time winners Nigeria in Abidjan on Sunday.