As Ivory Coast got here from a purpose all the way down to beat Nigeria and full essentially the most outstanding of sporting redemptions, it additionally encapsulated not solely their very own journey however that of a event, a continent and a person.
The 2-1 victory in the final for the Elephants was an enormous achievement in opposition to the Tremendous Eagles, who had been heavy favourites and led by the African Footballer of the 12 months, Victor Osimhen.
But this was a event that sparked into life and by no means let go of a flame that burned with the goals in each nook of Africa, producing upsets and tales that may reside lengthy within the reminiscence of all and never simply the Elephants.
To be capped by a successful purpose scored by Sebastian Haller, recognized with testicular most cancers in July 2022, was poetic to a wider viewers, but it’s inconceivable to place into phrases what it should imply to the participant and his household. As the game’s governing physique on the continent, the Confederation of African Soccer, dubbed it: “Haller’s story is one for the ages.”
All of it started with Ivory Coast’s capitulation in Group A. It was the primary main story of the event and made Sunday’s turnaround in opposition to Nigeria all of the extra spectacular.
The hosts, removed from one of many favourites, opened the event with a stable 2-0 win in opposition to Guinea, it laid a marker that maybe there was hope for the two-time champions amongst their extra celebrated rivals.
Certainly it was the Tremendous Eagles who entered the second group-stage match in opposition to the Elephants underneath some stress. Nigeria captain William Troost-Ekong settled the match, and Nigerian nerves following their level within the first match, from the spot.
The Ivorians’ implosion within the 4-0 defeat by Equatorial Guinea in Abidjan within the closing group match was the second that confirmed a particular AFCON was unfolding.
Coach Jean-Louis Gasset was faraway from his publish regardless of the chance that the crew may nonetheless progress. An pressing name was made to the previous Ivorian coach and two-time AFCON winner as supervisor, Herve Renard. The French Soccer Federation rejected the request for a mortgage from their girls’s nationwide crew boss.
From the hardest battles to the sweetest victories, Haller’s story is one for the ages. 🌟🥇#TotalEnergiesAFCON2023Final | @HallerSeb | @FIFCI_tweet pic.twitter.com/nQOheGbypp
— CAF (@CAF_Online) February 12, 2024
Gasset’s assistant and former Ivorian worldwide, Emerse Fae, who was compelled to retire by sickness as a participant at 28, was handed the reins. Qualifying narrowly as one of many 4 greatest third-place finishers, the Elephants marched to a gathering with the defending champions, Senegal.
Franck Kessie’s 86th-minute spot kick took the tie to additional time after which penalties however their comeback against Mali in the quarterfinal was a good nearer name. A Ninetieth-minute equaliser and an injury-time winner in additional time led to perception {that a} stampede was forming. The Congolese players’ seemed tired in the semifinal, as it will seem had been Nigeria’s within the closing, maybe underneath the burden of stress.
For Fae, a door had been blown off its hinges for his teaching ambitions after his enforced profession change in his 20s.
For the scorer of the successful purpose, a second for the world to cherish and have fun with him as Haller discovered each the web and the hearts of tens of millions after his restoration from a analysis that was delivered solely 18 months in the past.
For a crew, a redemption from a bunch stage to overlook that noticed the duplicate jerseys piled excessive in bins throughout the nation however now worn with pleasure as soon as extra. The comeback of comebacks was full.
The place had been the Nigerians?
Nigeria, with the continent’s largest inhabitants, entered this version as a transparent contender. They boasted the strongest squad with depth in each place and had been led by one of many world’s most prized skills in assault, Osimhen – topped Africa Footballer of the 12 months in December.
Defence was clearly to be their greatest type of assault as Portuguese coach Jose Peseiro arrange a five-man backline, with an onus on Osimhen to press from the entrance. A purpose within the opening sport from the Napoli striker rescued a degree in opposition to Equatorial Guinea however, by the point the knockout rounds had been progressing, that solitary strike was hanging over the 25-year-old forcing Peseiro to have fun his performances primarily based on Osimhen’s work charge for the crew.
Simply two targets had been conceded in six video games earlier than the ultimate, and as soon as Troost-Ekong gave Nigeria a half-time lead after a nervy first 45 minutes, it appeared the Elephants had been prone to face some process to trample the Tremendous Eagles’ backline. As they’d finished all through the primary half, stamp throughout it they did.
Dissatisfied, but we make do with the Silver Medal#soarsupereagles #letsdoitagain pic.twitter.com/NNWKc5yfde
— 🇳🇬 Tremendous Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) February 12, 2024
The build-up of stress on the backline was an excessive amount of for Nigeria, who registered only one shot on the right track. Osimhen, the main scorer in Serie A final yr as Napoli secured their first Italian title since 1990, was an remoted determine in assault.
Starved of alternative by a construction that was targeted on shutting out the opponent. “We must always’ve pressed greater, however we didn’t. We conceded a purpose and that’s the place issues went incorrect,” mirrored Nigeria defender Kenneth Omeruo in a dialog with Al Jazeera.
Nigeria had been set, they’d the squad, the celebs and the plan however issues fell aside. It was not fairly one thing from a Chinua Achebe novel for Osimhen and the Nigerians, the striker and the crew will go on. With AFCON happening each two years, the nation of 213.4 million will goal that elusive fourth title in Morocco in 2025.
The well-known 5 disappear in a flash
When Senegal, Ghana, Morocco, Cameroon and Tunisia certified for Qatar 2022, they created historical past as essentially the most groups from Africa to look in a World Cup.
When Morocco reached the quarterfinals, they grew to become solely the fourth nation from the continent to achieve that stage.
When they reached the semifinal they created African historical past, and the continent and the world had been taking observe.
So within the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
A mighty array of expertise with wounded Tremendous Eagles decided to make up for the World Cup playoff heartbreak by the hands of the Ghanaians. Certainly it was Ghana who suffered the primary shock of the event, dropping to Cape Verde, however their blushes had been spared when 2004 champions Tunisia had been overwhelmed by Namibia.
Two African giants fell on the group stage. They weren’t among the many favourites and it was a welcome story of 1 again for the underdogs.
By the tip of the spherical of 16, all 5 2022 World Cup qualifiers had been felled and one thing higher was that simply an upset was unfolding. The place a few of Africa’s largest groups has battled to make a mark on the worldwide stage for the continent for therefore a few years, the smaller nations at the moment are rising to problem their dominance in Africa.
The quarterfinals were made up of four teams but to raise an AFCON title in Cape Verde, Mali, Angola and Guinea. Moreover, there have been 4 groups within the final 16 which had been but to carry aloft the trophy. Two-time winners DR Congo had refound former glories and defeated the file seven-time winners Egypt. South Africa, with their one victory in 1996, overcame Morocco.
No new winners had been added to the listing of AFCON champions in the long run, however Ivory Coast’s revival, with their comeback tales, wrote the defining chapter in undoubtedly AFCON’s biggest story ever advised.
