The Ivorian organizers had announced it as the
“CAN of hospitality”
.
When it comes time to take stock, the 2024 edition will remain above all a spectacle and a mess of theatrical events.
Sunday, the tournament ended with the victory as beautiful as it was improbable for Côte d'Ivoire on home soil against Nigeria (2-1).
The day after a month of madness, a look back at the most notable moments of an African Cup which will mark the history of football on the continent.
To discover
African Cup of Nations: schedule and results
African Cup of Nations ranking
A most surprising group stage
Despite the rule of drafting the best third-place finishers, the group stage did not prevent surprises of all kinds and the CAN had its share of premature eliminations and unexpected qualifications.
Mauritania had never qualified for the final phase of a CAN, until... With two draws, Algeria did not even need to beat the “Mourabitounes” to reach the next round .
Except that the Mauritanians entered the eighth as a surprise guest, courageously beating an uninspired Algerian team thanks to a goal from Yali Dellahi (1-0).
The national scandal caused by the Fennecs cost Belmadi the post office, but nevertheless offered a moment of history to his novice executioner.
Algeria cries, Mauritania smiles.
KENZO TRIBOUILLARD / AFP
The disappointments born from the failures of the big ones also caused the success of the small ones.
In the first time category, Namibia joined Mauritania for an entry into the matter in terms of qualification for the second round.
The “Brave Warriors” helped bring Tunisia out on top of France at the 2022 World Cup, and three other outsiders took the top places in tough groups.
First the famous Equatorial Guinea without pity for the host country, which humiliated Ivory Coast 4-0 in front of its public, and finishing ahead of Nigeria.
Cape Verde also achieved this feat, surpassing Egypt and Ghana.
Finally, Angola surprised Burkina Faso and Algeria by stealing the show.
Mozambique caused Barca's Copa del Rey elimination
Yes, if FC Barcelona was disqualified from the Copa del Rey, it was largely because of the Mozambicans.
In the 90th minute of a match for Ghana (2-0), Ofori, the Black Stars goalkeeper, hesitates and touches the ball involuntarily, causing an opposing corner.
As a result, the Mambas scored and started again, before causing the loss of the Ghanaians by equalizing two minutes later.
Eliminated with his selection, Inaki Williams is already back in Bilbao, for the Copa del Rey match against Barcelona only 48 hours later.
Entering the game, it is he who will deliver Athletic Club de Bilbao in extra time (4-2 final result), even though he has just returned from Ivorian soil.
The express return of the Ghanaian international was effective, more than his national team at the CAN...
Hello Hervé?
Ivory Coast wants you
National drama erupts after the slap inflicted by Equatorial Guinea on Ivory Coast, players are targeted, supporters revolt inside and outside the stadium bearing the president's name.
The image of the country is tarnished on its own soil, and Jean-Louis Gasset is pushed out.
Champion with the Elephants in 2015, Hervé Renard is called as a savior by the federation, which demands the loan of the coach of the French women's team to the FFF to complete its CAN, unheard of.
The rumor of an
“exceptional freelance”
did not last long before being swept aside by the French football authority, and the FIF had to
“fall back”
on the inexperienced Emerse Faé.
This is the chaotic context, in which Gasset's former deputy takes charge of the selection.
With victory at stake, the name that will be retained will be that of Faé, but this lunar and unprecedented episode offered by the Ivorian federation will not be forgotten.
Fortunately for them, the hosts of the competition were miraculous thanks to Morocco's victory against Zambia, but not only...
Also readFootball: Hervé Renard “loaned” by France to Ivory Coast?
The FFF in reflection
The butterfly effect had terrible consequences
A simple, innocuous touch of the ball from the Ghanaian goalkeeper not only impacted Barca, but turned the entire competition on its head.
Because if Ghana had not been eliminated, Côte d'Ivoire would have been eliminated in their place, which would have disrupted the entire rest of the final table when we know the end of it.
With two small points, the “Black Stars” were not included in the draft, and left a tiny place for the country that hosts them.
Thanks to this twist of fate, the “Elephants” went into a mouse hole, as the worst of the four best thirds, and continued to force their destiny in the last moments, as in the direct elimination phase against the holder of the Senegalese title, and against Mali.
They were not the only ones to escape at the end of the suspense of their matches.
1 goal in 5 was scored at the very end of the match
The figure is colossal, 26 goals were scored after the 85th minute of play, this CAN left its mark with its suspense.
Anything was possible until the final whistle blew.
Among these 20% of achievements in the last minutes, counting 4 matches with several goals at the end of the match, there are memorable moments.
The elimination of Ghana of course, and the qualification at the last minute of Cameroon for example.
While Colley overthrows the Indomitable Lions (85th), the Cameroonians react two minutes later (87th), before winning thanks to Rennais Wooh (90+1), while being afraid of a goal refused by the VAR (90+3rd).
Damn heatstroke.
There is also the Egyptian liberation, on a lob from Mostafa Mohamed (90+3rd), followed by Teixeira's equalizer to maintain the Cape Verdean invincibility (90+9th), in a never-ending match.
Without forgetting the round of 16, which saw Guinea, Cape Verde, but especially South Africa win in the last moments against Morocco.
At 1-0, Hakimi thinks he has the survival ball at the end of his foot, and misses the equalizing penalty (85th), Mokoena takes the opportunity to rub salt in the wound and seals Bafana Bafana's qualification with a masterful free kick.
But the masters in this field are undoubtedly the new champions of Africa.
Resurrected, the Elephants became immortal and turned the tide twice against Senegal and Mali.
In the eighth, Kessié led the ultra-favorite Lions of Teranga into penalty shootout hell, and the Ivorians sent Sadio Mané and company home.
Then in the quarters, and while they are reduced to 10, it is Adingra who saves his country in the 90th minute from the clutches of the Malian Eagles, Diakité imitates him at the end of extra time (120+2nd), and plunges the Stade de Peace in full delirium.
The Miraculous refused to lose, whether in the game or on penalties.
Ronwen Williams master of penalties
He also likes this exercise.
Voted best goalkeeper of CAN 2024, Williams did not steal his award.
In the quarter-final, the South African captain will multiply his saves to force Cape Verde to go to penalties, his favorite moment.
For the first time in the history of major international competitions (World Cup, Euro, CAN, Copa America), he will achieve the feat of stopping 4 attempts by the “Blue Sharks”, never before has a goalkeeper achieved this. performance.
He will guide his team to an honorable third place, where he once again distinguished himself after extra time.
All's well That ends well
Of all the surprises, the one that closed this month full of emotions is the most beautiful.
Sébastien Haller, victim of testicular cancer in July 2022, takes Côte d'Ivoire to the roof of Africa by scoring the winning goal in the final against Nigeria.
The redemption of a man still absent from the field a little over a year ago commands respect.
The coronation of a talented team full of character, guided by a new coach is admirable.
In the end, all's well that ends well.