AFCON
Ivory 0-1 Nigeria: Captain Troost-Ekong seals a vital THREE-POINT (VIDEO)
Nigeria’s Super Eagles survived a surge of late attacks to earn a shock 1-0 win over AFCON 2023 hosts Ivory Coast.
Despite little optimism going into the match, the Super Eagles were able to overcome incredible odds to earn their first-ever win away at Ivory Coast.
Captain-for-the-day, William Troost-Ekong, scored the all-important goal of the game from the penalty spot to give the Super Eagles a deserved victory following a dogged display in defence.
The Ivorians were on the front foot early in the game as expected but were almost stunned when Victor Osimhen was played through on goal, but the Napoli forward was unable to keep his effort on target.
Ivory Coast came close to taking the lead when Christian Kouame capitalized on an error by Zaidu Sanusi and forced Stanley Nwabali into a good save with his body.
The second half started off level, and the Super Eagles were gifted an opportunity to take the lead as Osimhen was fouled in the box by Sporting CP youngster Ousmane Diomande.
Osimhen received a brilliant pass from Alex Iwobi, bringing the ball down with his chest before getting kicked by Diomande.
Captain-for-the-day, William Troost-Ekong, stepped up to the spot and converted the penalty to give the Super Eagles a 1-0 lead against the hosts.
After the goal, Nigeria dropped back and set up to hit Ivory Coast on the break, and they were nearly rewarded for this strategy with a goal when Osimhen headed just wide of goal from an Ola Aina throw-in.
The hosts continued to pressure Nigeria, peppering Nwabali’s goal with shot after shot, but the Chippa United goalkeeper held his own against the hosts.
The win leaves the Super Eagles on four points and second behind Equatorial Guinea on goal difference as they have now almost certainly booked passage into the second round of the competition.
Ivory Coast vs Nigeria Highlights
The Nigeria Football Federation has appointed Finidi George as the new head coach of the Super Eagles, beating Emmanuel Amuneke to the job.
George, a former international player, served as an assistant to José Santos Peseiro before taking over in an interim capacity for two friendly matches in Morocco last month.
George’s immediate task will be to lead the Super Eagles in two crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against South Africa and Benin Republic.
These matches, to be held in Uyo and Abidjan, respectively, are must-win encounters as Nigeria currently sits in third place in Group C of the African campaign, behind Rwanda and South Africa.
Nigeria has made a significant jump in the latest FIFA Ranking, now sitting ahead of AFCON champions Cote d’Ivoire and Erling Haaland’s Norway.
After their impressive showing at the AFCON 2023 tournament, Nigeria’s Super Eagles have climbed 14 places in the FIFA World Ranking. They are now ranked 28th in the world and the third-best team in Africa.
Despite their heartbreaking 2-1 loss to host nation Cote d’Ivoire in the final, Nigeria’s performance earned them plenty of praise. Led by coach Jose Peseiro, the young Nigerian side impressed throughout the tournament, narrowly missing out on a fourth AFCON title.
This move from 42nd to 28th is the highest climb for the Super Eagles in 11 years, matching their position in May 2013. They now sit behind Morocco, who moved up one spot to 12th, and Senegal, who are ranked 17th after moving up three places.
AFCON
Nigeria 1-2 Cote D’ivoire: Haller hits winner as Ivory Coast beat Super Eagles to take AFCON title
Sebastien Haller scored a dramatic late winner as Ivory Coast fought back to beat Nigeria 2-1 in Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations final, completing a remarkable turnaround to claim their third continental title.
Nigeria initially looked set to repeat their group stage victory over Ivory Coast with a 1-0 lead, courtesy of captain William Troost-Ekong’s header late in the first half. However, Franck Kessie equalized just after the hour mark, and Haller scored the winning goal in the 81st minute, sparking wild celebrations among the Ivory Coast fans.
This victory adds to Ivory Coast’s titles in 1992 and 2015 and brings them level with Nigeria on three Cup of Nations triumphs overall, joining Egypt, Cameroon, and Ghana as the most successful teams in the tournament’s history. Nigeria missed the chance to match Ghana’s four victories.
Despite being led by reigning African player of the year Victor Osimhen, Nigeria was considered the strongest team in the competition. However, Ivory Coast’s determination proved too much, making them the first host country to win the AFCON since 2006.
Former captain Didier Drogba, who led the Ivory Coast team that lost to Egypt in the 2006 final, witnessed this stunning victory as a spectator.
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