In the current African Cup of Nations, the Super Eagles of Nigeria will play the Elephants of Ivory Coast on Sunday in the final in Abidjan. Wednesday’s 1-0 victory over the Democratic Republic of the Congo by the hosts Ivory Coast advanced them to the final thanks to a game-winning goal from Sebastien Haller, the game’s hero.
In the 65th minute at the Ebimpe Olympic Stadium, Borussia Dortmund striker Haller made his tournament debut after suffering an injury. His shot looped over the goalie and in. Haller connected with a cross from Max-Alain Gradel.That was sufficient to end a heated but competitive semifinal match; the Ivorians will now play Nigeria at the same location on Sunday to determine the winner.
The two-time winners are the first host nation to make it to the Cup of Nations final since Egypt did it in 2006, and their incredible comeback from almost elimination in the group stage is truly astounding.
On the other hand, it was a heartbreaking loss for DR Congo, who had been hoping to make their first AFCON final appearance since winning the championship in Zaire in 1974.
The Ivory Coast’s interim coach, Emerse Fae, had called the team’s performance in the tournament “miraculous” on the eve of this match. Gasset was fired after the team had terrible group stage results.
humiliated and in danger of being eliminated following Equatorial Guinea’s 4-0 victory on January 22, this was their first match at the Ebimpe Olympic Stadium on Abidjan’s dusty outskirts since then.
The Elephants scraped through to the last 16 as the last of the four best third-placed teams, then ousted reigning champions Senegal on penalties. They followed that by beating Mali in the quarter-finals — despite playing most of the match with 10 men — with their winner coming in added time in extra time.
Oumar Diakite, the match-winner against Mali, was sent off while celebrating his goal and was suspended here along with captain Serge Aurier, Odilon Kossounou and Christian Kouame.
Among those coming in were Brighton winger Simon Adingra, who got the equaliser against Mali, and Haller, the talismanic forward who was finally fully fit. DR Congo were looking to avenge their 3-1 defeat by the Ivorians in their last appearance in the AFCON semi-finals, in 2015.
Their players have been spurred on during this tournament by a determination to raise awareness of the plight of millions of Congolese affected by ongoing violence in the east of the country.
The Congo team used the national anthem to protest, each covering their mouth with one hand and using the other to imitate a gun pointing at their heads.
Apparently unperturbed by the hostile home crowd, the Leopards started well and had the ball in the net in the ninth minute. Cedric Bakambu knocked the ball out of goalkeeper Yahia Fofana’s grasp and in at a corner, but the goal was disallowed by the Libyan referee for a foul.
The biggest chances of the first half fell to the Ivorians, who grew as a threat as the interval approached. Haller rose unmarked in the box only to somehow head wide from Wilfried Singo’s inviting cross in the 40th minute. Moments later, Franck Kessie crashed a shot off the post.
Kessie threatened again just before the hour mark with a powerful strike that forced goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi into action, but the breakthrough followed soon after. Max-Alain Gradel held up a cross into the box from the right and Haller swung his leg in hope rather than expectation. The connection was not great but the ball bounced down into the ground and then looped over the head of the helpless Mpasi and into the net.
Frenzied celebrations ensued, while Fae leapt around in his technical area. The hosts then went for the kill, with Haller heading onto the roof of the net from an Adingra corner and sending a lob wide when left with just Mpasi to beat. One goal was enough and a deafening roar greeted the final whistle.
