Nigeria 2-1 Ivory Coast: Super Eagles lose AFCON 2023 final

22:18 - 11 February 2024

Follow the action as the Super Eagles of Nigeria lost to the Elephants of Ivory Coast in the final of AFCON 2023

FULLTIME! NIGERIA 1-2 IVORY COAST

82' GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! SEBASTIEN HALLER SCORES and potentially wins the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations for Ivory Coast,

Frank Kessie comes up clutch for the hosts again with a header from a corner kick, game on now 1-1.

62' GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! FRANK KESSIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! IVORY COAST ARE LEVEL

53' Big chance for Ivory Coast but Calvin Bassey comes up clutch with a lock on the line and Nwabali mops it up to keep Nigeria in front.

45' The second half begins, can Ivory Coast find an equaliser or will Nigeria hold on to win AFCON 2023.

HALFTIME!!! NIGERIA 1-0 IVORY COAST

45' Seko Fofana belts a long-range strike but it causes minimal stress for Stanley Nwabali as the half-time whistle follows.

GOAL!

William Troost-Ekong puts the Super Eagles in the lead! 🇳🇬 #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023Final pic.twitter.com/toXg7XcJMX
— CAF (@CAF_Online) February 11, 2024

GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL! NIGERIA!! CAPTAIN FANTASTIC WILLIAM TROOT-EKONG HEADS NIGERA IN FRONT

38' Zaidu has a big chance, Nigeria's first of the game but it's blocked behind by Odilon Kossounou. Corner kick for the Super Eagles.

33' Adingra forces Nwabali into a save as Ivory Coast continue to knock on the door, Nigeria not at the races so far.

30' COOLING BREAK at the half-hour mark, both teams need to catch their breath.

27' Tempers are flaring here in Abidjan with a melee involving Victor Osimhen also leading to a yellow card for Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro.

15' Ivory Coast have had the upper hand so far with no real chance created yet but still early days.

KICKOFF' The wait is finally over, the action gets underway between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and Ivory Coast.

Football

Why 2023 AFCON is record-breaker yet could end in goal drought

Football

AFCON 2023: Players to watch in Nigeria v Côte d'Ivoire final clash

Emmanuel Eboue warns Ivory Coast defenders of Osimhen

Football

‘He reminds me of Drogba - Emmanuel Eboue warns Ivory Coast defenders to be wary of Osimhen

Nigerians react as Yemi Alade warns Super Eagles on bad luck handshake in AFCON 2023 against Ivory Coast.

Sports Gist

AFCON 2023: Yemi Alade warns Super Eagles on bad luck handshake against Ivory Coast

Cote d'Ivoire's interim coach, Emerse Fae, during a press conference at the AFCON 2023.

Football

Emerse Fae: What Cote d'Ivoire boss has learnt about Nigeria ahead of AFCON final

Football

AFCON 2023: Jose Peseiro gives update on Zaidu Sanusi's fitness issue ahead of final showdown

The good thing is PULSE SPORTS has you covered from all fronts here and across all our social media platforms. Don't believe me? Have a look at our extensive pre-AFCON final content while we wait for kickoff.

30 minutes to kickoff, it's not a long time to wait for neutrals but it is an eternity for Nigerians and Ivorians who cannot wait for the action to begin.

OUT OF THIS WORLD! 🎇

The #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023Final closing ceremony was more than perfect! 🕺🎤 pic.twitter.com/qS6l2MnD9Y
— CAF (@CAF_Online) February 11, 2024

The closing ceremony has been a vibrant affair at the Stade Alhassane Outtara in Abidjan as the wonderful hosts bid Africa farewell in what has been a genuinely incredible tournament.

The hosts show up fully prepared for their last dance at home. 🇨🇮💯#TotalEnergiesAFCON2023Final | @pumafootball pic.twitter.com/8U6LEX2FJg
— CAF (@CAF_Online) February 11, 2024

For Nigeria it could be a fourth AFCON title tonight following wins in 1980, 1994 and 2013 while the Ivorians are in search of their third.

📋 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐗𝐈 📋

One last #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 lineup! 💪#NGRCIV | #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023Final pic.twitter.com/WqOqwkSqW6
— CAF (@CAF_Online) February 11, 2024

The lineups are out and the Super Eagles are in their familiar 3-4-3 shape with one two changes from the last game as Zaidu Sanusi returns to replace Bright Osayi-Samuel and Samuel Chukwueze is preferred to Moses Simon today.

These teams met in the group stages in a game the Super Eagles won thanks to a William Troost-Ekong penalty, a similar outcome would ofcourse be very much welcome from a Nigerian perspective.

Eagles ti dey! Eagles a biala! Eagles ya zo! Final ginger na anoda level... 🦅🎤#TotalEnergiesAFCON2023Final pic.twitter.com/NwRbNGYXuy
— CAF (@CAF_Online) February 11, 2024

Nigeria remain unbeaten having navigated through Cameroon, Angola and South Africa in the knockout rounds up until now, up next is a rematch against the hosts.

For the Super Eagles it has been a journey of domination built on a solid defensive rock that has shipped just two goals all tournament long with just one from open play.

A managerial change mid-tournament also saw Jean-Louis Gasset depart and replaced by Emerse Fae who has since guided his nation past Senegal, Mali and DR Congo to set up this final against Nigeria.

Les Elephants qualified for the knockout rounds via the 'best loser' route, finishing fourth on the table of third-placed teams to sneak into what appeared to be certain elimination against the defending champions Senegal.

Ivory Coast's path to the final is one of a fairytale having recovered from a horrible group stage in which they finished third with three points and a -3 goal difference.

These two teams are ready to serve us the perfect crescendo to what has been an incredible month of top quality football, 51 games already played, it is time for number 52, the most important one.

The wait was long and arduous but it is finally over, it's d-day in Abidjan, the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations between the host nation Ivory Coast and the Super Eagles of Nigeria.

AFCON 2023