A repeat of Matchday 2 encounter between Nigeria and hosts Côte d’Ivoire will close the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations at Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan on Sunday.
This was made certain by the Ivorien lone goal victory over DR Congo in the second semifinals of the competition late on Wednesday. Sébastien Haller got the needed goal for the Elephants 20 minutes into the restart of a game that produced little to cheer in the first half.
It was Haller’s first goal of Côte d’Ivoire in which the 29-year-old striker featured in the starting line-up for the first time in the competition.
Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire will be having a face-off in AFCON final for the first time. But they had clashed at the group phase four times – Nigeria 1980, Algeria 1990, Ghana 2008 and Côte d’Ivoire. Those games produced 2-1-1 in favour of Nigeria, including the lone goal victory in the ongoing competition in favour of the Super Eagles.
Both teams met twice in the semis with Nigeria winning one of them on the way to the title. In Tunisia 1994, the Super Eagles triumphed 4-2 penalties and went on to beat Zambia 2-1 to lift the trophy. But Côte d’Ivoire stopped Nigeria in Egypt 2006 with a lone goal in Alexandria.
On the way to Nigeria’s last title in South Africa 2013, the Super Eagles pipped the Elephants 2-1 in the quarterfinals in Rustenburg.
