A thrilling come-from-behind victory on home soil helped Ivory Coast defeat Nigeria in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final.
With just nine minutes remaining, the team’s standout player, Sebastien Haller, scored the game-winning goal to seal the nation’s third continental crown.
Simon Adingra’s cross was expertly flicked in by Haller, who had earlier scored the winner of the semi-final, using the tip of his boot. This goal brought the incredible comeback from the second half to a close and sent the home crowd into joyous celebrations.
With a strong header from a corner kick by William Troost-Ekong, Nigeria had taken the lead in the first half.
Franck Kessie, however, tied the score in the 62nd minute by nodding in Adingra’s corner unmarked after the Nigerian defence erred.
Despite some impressive performances during the tournament, Nigeria failed to impose themselves throughout much of the match.
Ivory Coast, on the other hand, dominated the game and deservedly won.
With this accomplishment, Ivory Coast has now won three Nations Cups, having previously won in 1992 and 2015.
Remarkably, they are the first host country to win since Egypt did so in 2006.
The team’s remarkable wins over Senegal and Mali were largely attributed to interim coach Emerse Fae, who led the group through the knockout stages.