Nigeria to battle Ivory Coast on Sunday in AFCON final

The Super Eagles of Nigeria will battle the Elephants of Ivory Coast in the final of the ongoing African Cup of Nations in Abidjan on Sunday.

This is coming after Ivory Coast defeated Democratic Republic of Congo 1:0 in cagey contest.

The only goal of the game in Abidjan came in the 65th minute when Haller’s volley bounced down into the ground and up over Leopards goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi.

That was enough to settle a tensed but open semi-final showdown, and the Ivorians will now face Nigeria at the same venue to decide who takes the title.

The two-time champions are the first host country to reach the final of the Cup of Nations since Egypt in 2006, and the turnaround is absolutely remarkable for a team that was on the brink of elimination in the group stage.

Recall that Ivory Coast had sacked Jean-Louis Gasset as boss before scrambling through the group stage, and had needed late goals against both Senegal and Mali to progress to the last four.

But interim boss Emerse Fae now has a chance to guide the Elephants to a third continental title, adding to their triumphs in 1992 and 2015, when they face three-time winners Nigeria in Abidjan on Sunday.

The Super Eagles had reached the final earlier on Wednesday after beating South Africa 4-2 on penalties following a dramatic 1-1 draw in Bouake.

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