For the third time, Côte d’Ivoire are the football champions of Africa!
The Elephants wanted victory more than Nigeria’s Super Eagles, and gave all that was required to achieve result, coming from a goal down to beat their opponents 2-1 at Stade Olympique Alassane Ouattara in Abidjan on Sunday night. It was the final game of the 34th Africa Cup of Nations.
Côte d’Ivoire first won the title in Senegal in 1992, and repeated the feat in 2015 in Equatorial Guinea.
Nigeria had beaten the Elephants by a lone goal on Matchday 2 at the Group Stage on 18th January at the same venue. Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong, who was responsible for Nigeria’s victory in that first game, also shot his team ahead using his head in the 38th minute in Sunday’s final.
Côte d’Ivoire returned stronger in the second half, and their pressure paid of when midfielder Franck Kessié found the net in the 62nd minute to level scores.
Nine minutes to the end of regulation time, Sébastien Haller scored the winning goal to send the packed stadium back into live.
In the stadium to cheer the Nigeria team was Vice President Kashim Shettima and thousands of Nigerians who found their way to Abidjan through various means.
