Sebastian Haller’s decisive late goal propelled Ivory Coast to their 3rd l African Cup of Nations title, marking a stunning turnaround in a major Football tournament and etching a moment of glory in the hearts of fans worldwide.
The tournament hosts, Ivory Coast, began their AFCON 2024 campaign with a dominant performance against Guinea-Bissau. Having won their opening game, the Elephants went on to lose the remaining two games in the group, which resulted in their Manager losing his job mid-way through the tournament.
Qualifying to the round of 16 as one of the best 3rds, the Elephants managed to pave their path to meet Nigeria in the Finals.
The Super Eagles did score first to break the deadlock with the help of their Captain William Troost-Ekong heading the opener late in the 1st half. Even though the hosts had more shots on target in the opening half, they were unable to find the back of the net courtesy the brilliance of the Super Eagle’s shot-stopper.
Beginning the second passage of play on a positive note, the hosts played some fluid football to finally equalize through midfield maestro Franck Kessié in the 61st minute.
In the final phase of the game, Ivory Coast’s star striker, Sebastian Haller, found the back of the net with a powerful header in the 81st minute, courtesy of a precise cross from winger Simon Adingra, securing the victory for the men in orange, making it their 3rd AFCON title.
It is an incredible achievement for a side that was on the brink of elimination in the group stage after losing 4-0 to Equatorial Guinea in the group stages – their journey culminated in a triumphant display in the Final and may definitely have brought a smile to many Ivorians.
