Ivory Coast have continued on their fairytale run in their 2023 AFCON with another knockout victory over DR Congo that has sent them to the final of the tournament.
The Elephants were given no chance after sneaking into the knockout of the tournament among the four best third-placed teams.
After opening their AFCON campaign with a win over Guinea-Bissau, the Elephants stumbled to defeats against Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea and dropped down to third in the group with just 3 points and a negative goal difference.
Following the dismal group stage run, their former head coach Jean-Louis Casset was sacked with Emerse Fae taking over as Interim manager.
Ivory Coast had their AFCON fate banked on the final group game between Morocco and Zambia. Morocco needed to defeat Zambia for the Ivoriens to book their place in the next round of the tournament.
As envisaged, the Atlas Lions edged out Zambia and Ivory booked their place in the knockout of the competition against all odds. So far, it has been a sensational comeback for the Ivoriens.
Ivory Coast’s road to the final
The Elephants clashed with defending champions Senegal in round 16 of the tournament. After trailing by a lone goal throughout the first half, Franck Kessie’s late penalty restored parity in the 86th minute, dragging the game into extra time where they won 5-4 to qualify for the quarterfinal.
In the quarterfinals, Diakite’s late flick saw the Elephants stunned Mali 2-1 in another dramatic comeback to set up a semifinal showdown with DR Congo.
It was a relatively easier last-four tie for the Elephants coming on against DR Congo. They dominated proceedings and were on the ascendancy throughout the game. Sebastian Haller’s 65th-minute goal was the difference as the Elephants scraped pass the Congolese to reach the final of the competition where they will take on Nigeria.
Watch Video Highlights Below
