The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations hosts Ivory Coast beat DR Congo by a solitary goal to set up a final meeting with Nigeria. A Sebastien Haller volley in the 65th minute was enough to see Ivory Coast reach the final, in what has been a turbulent tournament for the hosts.
Haller should have opened the scoring just before the break with an unmarked header, while he also missed a chance to double the lead when sending a lob narrowly wide.
DR Congo did not look like getting a late equaliser, although Meschack Elia sent a volley wide of the left-hand upright and Simon Banza then fired well over in injury time.
DR Congo threatened from first-half corners, with Haller forced into a diving header to clear one at the near post before Elephants keeper Yahia Fofana flapped at the next delivery. Cedric Bakambu headed in the loose ball and wheeled away in celebration but referee Ibrahim Mutaz had already blown his whistle, ruling that Elia had kicked the ball out of Fofana’s hands.
Ivory Coast revitalize campaign after sacking Jean-Louis Gasset
Ivory Coast had sacked Jean-Louis Gasset as boss before scraping through the group stage and had needed late goals against both Senegal and Mali to progress to the last four.
The hosts suffered a chastening 4-0 defeat by Equatorial Guinea which had left the West Africans on the brink of exiting the finals after just three games.
But interim boss Emerse Fae now has a chance to guide the Elephants to a third continental title, adding to triumphs in 1992 and 2015, when they face three-time winners Nigeria in Abidjan on Sunday.
In the game against DR Congo, who impressed in this tournament, Ivory Coast couldn’t find the early breakthrough they craved. But then with 25 minutes of normal time left Haller dropped back to meet Max-Alain Gradel’s cross from the right with a first-time volley from about 13 yards out, and the bounce of the ball caught out Mpasi as it dipped just under his crossbar.
Two-time champions themselves, but not since 1974, DR Congo had drawn their first four games at the finals but could not find a way back into the match after coming from behind to beat Guinea in the quarter-finals.
Ivory Coast become the first hosts to reach an AFCON final since Egypt in 2006 – with the Pharaohs also the most recent side to lift the trophy on home soil that year.
After a tournament of underdog success and surprise results, Ivory Coast fans can now look forward to a heavyweight clash with Nigeria following a path through the finals which has already involved several dramatic twists and turns.
Who will prevail this Sunday to emerge as continental champions?
Sherjeel Malik is the editor at FanHaat with a writing experience in multiple sports. He oversees the editorial and content coverage at FanHaat and writes often around combat sports, football and other marquee sports. A professional highlight of his career was when WWE’s Paul Heyman shared one of his articles on his social media.
Apart from writing, editing and watching sports, he likes to indulge in reading fiction, watching war documentaries and is a fan of Liverpool FC
