***As curtains fall on African football showpiece
By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
In less than 24 hours now, three-time African champions Nigeria will file out against Cotè d Ivoire, host of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in the much-awaited final at Stade Alassane Ouattara in Ebimpe, Abidjan as curtains fall on the biggest football showpiece in the continent on Sunday, February 11, 2023.
Already, the stadium is sold out and groundsmen are working round the clock to put the turf in good condition for what promises to be a clash of the titans because of the football pedigree of the ‘African Giant’ Nigeria and her West African sister nation Cotè d Ivoire in African football scene.
A tournament characterised by plenty surprises and shocks, the final match between the two former AFCON champions promises to be high octane encounter with both countries trying to win the battle to add to the number of times country lifted the coveted African Cup.
If the semi-final clashes between Nigeria and South Africa which stretched to penalty shootout after 120 minutes of football on Wednesday was a class act and host Cote d’Ivoire win over DR Congo a good display of quality football then the final between Nigeria and Cotè d Ivoire promises to be more interesting as the battle to lift the coveted African trophy in the grand finale reaches fever pitch.
Interestingly, Nigeria’s Super Eagles preyed on the Elephants of Cotè d Ivoire when both teams met in the group stage of the competition with Nigeria winning the tie by a lone goal courtesy of Captain Williams Troost-Ekong penalty goal. The Elephants went on to lose 4-0 to Equatorial Guinea in the last group match.
But Cotè d Ivoire bounced back from the round of 16 by beating highly-rated defending champions Senegal 5-4 after 120 minutes of football ended 1-1and also despatched Mali 2-1 in the quarter-final clash and edged out DR Congo in the semi-final meeting to qualify for the 3rd placed match.
On her part, Nigeria is the only team in the competition that has not lost any match so far as she started with a 1-1 draw with Equatorial Guinea and defeated Cote d’Ivoire and Guinea-Bissau by loan goal respectively.
Super Eagles tamed the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon 2-0 in the round of 16; eliminated Angola 1-0 in the quarter-final and defeated South Africa’s Bafana Bafana 4-2 on penalties after playing out 1-1 at full time in regulation time to qualify for the epic final on Sunday.
Fortunately, Nigeria and Ivory Coast will be meeting for the 8 time at AFCON with the Super Eagles boasting a better record of three victories to the Ivorians’ two and three draws just as Nigeria have appeared in the finals of AFCON on 20 occasions.
Also, each of the two teams have laid their hands on the Holy Grail of African football in three and two occasions in the case of Nigeria and Cotè d Ivoire respectively. Nigeria lifted the coveted trophy in 1980 in Nigeria; 1994 in Tunisia and 2013 in South Africa while Cote d’Ivoire lifted the title in 1992 and 2015.
However, Nigeria which first appeared in the AFCON in 1963, when they were drawn in a group with Sudan, and the then United Arab now Egypt has gone ahead to leave impressive footprint on the sand of time if how many times the country has won medals at AFCON is anything to rely upon .
The Super Eagles have been victorious in two of their last three AFCON finals (1994 and 2013, lost on penalties in 2000) having lost their three beforehand (1984, 1988 and 1990). In all, Nigeria has three Gold (1980, 1994 and 2013); four Silver (1984, 1988, 1990 and 2000) and eight Bronze ?1976, 1978, 1992, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2010 and 2019).
The above is the intimidating records of Nigeria in AFCON over the years and the West Africans are determined to maintain the tradition on Sunday at the expense of Cote d’Ivoire hence the Troost-Ekong led Super Eagles will do everything possible to beat the Elephants of Cotè d Ivoire to lift their fourth title on Sunday.
Odds favour Nigeria as the victory over Cote d’Ivoire in the group stage will spur the Eagles to soar even higher when they meet the Elephants on Sunday as these players will like create history of their by winning the AFCON trophy to join their compatriots who won in 1980, 1994 and 2013 respectively.
Expectedly, Head coach Josè Peseiro will continue to line up the winning team with Stanley Nwabali in goal and protected by backline made up of Troost-Ekong, Semilogo Ajayi, Zaidu Sanusi and Olaoluwa Aina. They will be supported by Alexander Iwobi and Frank Onyeka with Moses Simon and Ademola Lookman operating from the flanks leaving reigning African Best Player Victor Osimhen as a lone striker.
Like in the earlier six matches played by Peseiro’s boys in the coming, the Super Eagles will not be too adventurous in the match but adopt a wait and see attitude to try to hit the Elephants on the counter and should Nigeria gets the needed goal the Eagles will try to see off the game without much being complacent.
The only problem for the Nigerians will be if the players and officials are carried away by the deluge of the federal government delegations flooding the Super Eagles’s camp before and after each match they have played in the competition.
Who is who in Nigeria’s political and business circles especially those who can afford private jets have been taking turns to travel to Cote d’Ivoire to “cheer” the Super Eagles. At the last count Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima; State governors, Senators, Members of Federal House of Representatives and others followed on the footsteps of Labour Party 2023 Presidential Election Flagbearer Mr. Peter Obi who was clearly seen at stands singing alongside members of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club the day Nigeria defeated Cameroun in Abidjan.
In fact, the presidency had announced that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria will be in Abidjan live on Sunday to cheer the Super Eagles. This will have a telling effect on the Nigerian team especially if he storms their dressing room to see them before or during the match although the most likely scenario will be during the medals presentation on the pitch if Nigeria lifts the AFCON trophy on Sunday.
Aside the distractions which former AFCON winner, Dr. Segun Odegbami has advised against, the Super Eagles are poised to give the match their best although they are aware that the Ivoriens they beat under French-born coach Jean-Louis Gasset as the interim gaffer and ex-international Emerse Faé has turned the Elephants into a fearsome squad. READ ALSO:
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This means that Peseiro must be spot on in his team selection as he cannot afford to put players cannot accurate passes to teammates but kept making incomplete passes and many times to opponents. There shall not be any margin for errors.
Perhaps, this final match is the type of game Leicester City forward Kelechi Iheanacho and Terem Moffi should join Osimhen upfront to get the needed goals as any attempt to drag the match to extra time and penalty shootout may not be the best for Nigeria.
Nigerians at home and diaspora are waiting anxiously for the match to start just as the expectations are for the Super Eagles to win the encounter and bring the trophy home.
Go Super Eagles !
