Tiktekno: clip summarizing today's events in sport, 11.2/sport1
The host of the African Championship did the unbelievable and won the Continental Cup for the third time in its history this evening (Sunday) after a huge turnaround in the final.
It is doubtful that there were those who thought after the way the tournament opened for the Ivory Coast team that they would be able to do it, but with fighting and a lot of heart, the "Elephants" beat the Nigerian team 1:2 with a much better performance and deservedly won the championship.
Since the 2006 championship, no host team has managed to win their home tournament, so it was the Egyptian team that beat the Ivory Coast, and tonight it was the turn of Sebastian Haller and his friends.
Even in the group stage, Ivory Coast struggled with only three points and a negative goal difference of 5:2, with the French coach Jean-Louis Gasse fired even before qualifying for the round of 16.
The former midfielder Amers Paa was appointed as the temporary coach and in a tremendous journey that went through a victory in penalties in the round of 16 against the outgoing champion Senegal, through a dramatic victory over Mali in the quarter-finals and the tight 0:1 against the Democratic Republic of Congo, the host of the tournament reached the final against a particularly difficult opponent who suffered only Two goals in the whole tournament, and tonight she conceded 2 of them.
Precisely after an opening in complete control of the Ivory Coast, the captain of the Super Eagles, William Trost-Akong, hit the net of Yaya Popana in the 38th minute and became the first defense player to score three goals in one championship.
The pressure in the second half paid off for the host of the tournament when Frank Kessier hit the equalizer over Novali in the 62nd minute and Haller converted in the 81st minute with a wonderful goal on the way to the elephants' huge victory in the home tournament, a year after the great striker beat cancer with an even more exciting victory for him.
This is Ivory Coast's first win since 2015, while it is Nigeria's fifth loss in the finals, and it tied with Ghana for the record number of runner-ups in the championship.
Amazing win.
Haller/Reuters
the vehicles
Nigeria:
Stanley Nwabali, Sammy Ajayi, William Trost-Ekong, Calvin Bassey, Ola Aina, Frank Onyeka, Alex Iwobi, Zaido Sanusi, Ademola Luckman, Samuel Chukwueza, Victor Osiman.
Cote d'Ivoire:
Yaya Popana, Serge Aurier, Evan Andica, Odilon Kosuno, Gillen Coonan, Frank Cassier, Jean-Michel Seri, Sko Popana, Max Allen Gradle, Sebastian Haller, Simon Edingara.
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Honorable representative in the finals in the Ivory Coast.
Drogba/GettyImages
The host of the tournament is in control from the start.
Haller/GettyImages
the progress of the game
14th minute: A corner kick was cleared by the Nigerian defense until Sekou Popana kicked a powerful shot, Stanley Nwavali caught easily against the first significant threat to his goal.
21 min: Max Allen Gradle tries his luck from Nwavali's box with a crossbar that only met the outside netting for Nigeria.
34th minute: Simon Edingara came to one on one from the left side against Nwavali, the Nigerian goalkeeper stopped his kick from close range.
Third goal in the tournament.
William Trost-Ekong/GettyImages
38th minute: Goal!
0:1 to Nigeria!
In stark contrast to the flow of the game, captain William Trost-Ekong hit an arcing shot that found Yaya Popana's net to give the Super Eagles a stunning lead.
Minute 45+5: Popana again tried to surprise Nwavali with a huge kick outside the box, again the Nigerian goalkeeper was on the spot.
49th minute: Edingara's break from the left side ended with Gradle's flat kick into the hands of Nowavali.
A lot of nerves in the final.
Nigeria and Ivory Coast players in conflict/Reuters
59th minute: A huge chance for Franck Kessier to equalize the score after a great preparatory action by Edingara, but the midfielder hit weakly from close range into the hands of Nwavali.
62nd minute: Goal!
Ivory Coast equalized 1:1!
A corner kick found the head of Kasia who took advantage of a bad departure from Novali and hit the equalizer for the host of the tournament.
74th minute: Sebastian Haller's tremendous crossbar almost found the Nigerian frame, but the ball went wide of Nwavali's crossbar.
The final reopened.
Kasia/GettyImages
What an amazing story.
Haller/GettyImages
81st minute: Goal!
1:2 to the Ivory Coast!
Edingara's cross reached Haller who with the onside kick subdued Nwavali and turned the score around for the hosts who came close to winning.
More on the same topic:
The Ivory Coast national team
Nigeria national team