AFCON final score, result, highlights as Ivory Coast top Nigeria to win 2024 title on Sebastien Haller goal – Sporting News
In a highly anticipated AFCON 2023 final between two established African football powers both falling on hard times in recent years, it was the hosts who had the last of their nine lives remaining.
Sebastien Haller played hero 18 months removed from his testicular cancer diagnosis, completing a comeback to score the 81st-minute winner for Ivory Coast, who emerged with the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations title following a 2-1 win over Nigeria in Abidjan.
It was the Super Eagles who led at halftime through captain William Troost-Ekong, despite appearing second-best through the first half-hour, but the hosts would not be denied for long. Franck Kessie deposited a header off a corner past the hour mark to level the score, and Haller’s flick gave the Elephants the lead with under 10 minutes remaining.
Both teams made it this far on the backs of late drama, so it was fitting that it was won in the final minutes of play. Nigeria had conceded just two goals all tournament to this point, but under repeated pressure all game, they were unable to keep the the host nation out across the 90 minutes of action.
The win for Ivory Coast is an incredible achievement, having only squeaked through to the knockout stage as the final team to qualify, firing their coach in the process. Interim boss Emerse Fae took over and led the side on an improbable run, securing the trophy in the end.
The Sporting News followed the AFCON final between Nigeria and Ivory Coast live, providing score updates, commentary and highlights as they happened.
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Kickoff: 8 p.m. local (3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT)
Location: Alassane Ouattara Stadium (Abidjan, Ivory Coast)
Referee: Dahane Beida (Mauritania)
Lineups:
Nigeria (3-4-3, right to left): 23. Nwabili (GK) — 6. Ajayi, 5. Troost-Ekong, 21. Bassey — 3. Sanusi (Aribo, 86′), 8. Onyeka (Moffi, 86′), 17. Iwobi (Yussuf, 79′), 2. Aina — 11. Chukwueze (Simon, 57′), 9. Osimhen, 18. Lookman (Iheanacho, 79′).
Ivory Coast (4-3-3, right to left): 1. Y. Fofana (GK) — 17. Aurier (Singo, 70′), 7. Koussounou, 21. N’Dicka, 3. Konan — 8. Kessie, 4. Seri, 6. Fofana (Krasso, 88′) — 15. Gradel (Diakite, 70′), 22. Haller (Sangare, 88′), 24. Adingra.
The comeback is complete and the hosts have triumphed in Abidjan! There’s tears all over the Alassane Ouattara Stadium pitch as Ivory Coast are your 2023 Africa Cup of Nations title winners! Nigeria had the halftime lead but come up short, while the hosts deserved to win with their pressure and attacking intent over the 90 minutes.
🏆 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑴𝑷𝑰𝑶𝑵𝑺 🏆
🇨🇮 Côte d’Ivoire are crowned African Champions for the third time in their history! 🥇#TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 pic.twitter.com/Y2xx7l1JAb
90 min: With seven minutes of added time looming, Ola Aina is booked for stopping an Ivorian counter-attack with a drag-back of Simon Adingra, who’s been the best player on the pitch today.
86th min: Nigeria head coach Jose Peseiro has thrown on his final hail mary, introducing Terem Moffi and Joe Aribo into the mix to replace Zaidu Sanusi and Frank Onyeka.
Ivory Coast respond by withdrawing hero Sebastien Haller alongside Seko Fofana, with Jean-Philippe Krasso and Ibrahim Sangare entering the field of play.
81st min: GOAL! IVORY COAST! SEBASTIEN HALLER’S FLICK PUTS IVORY COAST IN FRONT AND THE STADIUM IN ABIDJAN GOES BERSERK!
A cross from the left is sent to the mouth of goal, and Haller is there to play hero, lifting his leg up up to meet the ball, deflecting it past Stanley Nwabali inside the far post!
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A TALE OF REDEMPTION 🤩🥹
Sebastián Haller, after everything he’s been through, is bringing his nation closer to clinching victory at home 😍
Watch #Nigeria 🇳🇬 vs #IvoryCoast 🇨🇮 LIVE NOW on #beINSPORTS 📺#NGRCIV #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023Final pic.twitter.com/bRBXEvzcJO
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WOW! Ivory Coast have turned it around! 🔄
Sébastien Haller guides it home with a sumptuous touch! 👏 pic.twitter.com/jWJXoMb1LB
78th min: Seko Fofana and Victor Osimhen are both down receiving treatment near the benches as the two tangles in the air and both fell awkwardly. It’s a nasty one for both players.
Nigeria make two more changes, as Alex Iwobi and Ademola Lookman are hauled off, with Kelechi Iheanacho and Alhassan Yusuf brought on. The two wingers have been excellent for the Super Eagles all tournament, but both were quiet today.
74th min: Chance, Ivory Coast! Sebastien Haller nearly produces a worldie to put the hosts in front! He had room for the bicycle kick from the top of the six-yard box, and it appeared he had a few spots in the goal to pick out, but he puts it wide left. That would have been sensational!
That brings us to the second-half cooling break. How much do these two sides have left in tank as they battle in the Ivorian heat?
68th min: Chance, Nigeria! The Super Eagles have looked better since Ivory Coast equalised, and with a set-piece opportunity in the attacking third, William Troost-Ekong heads over the crossbar.
A pair of changes for Ivory Coast, as Serge Aurier will come off after having been booked in the first half and looking a bit on edge. On comes Wilfried Singo in his place, while Oumar Diakite replaces Max Gradel. There’s a humorous moment where Aurier hands the captain’s armband to Gradel, who had it for about 15 seconds before himself withdrawn and giving it to Franck Kessie.
62nd min: GOAL! IVORY COAST! FRANCK KESSIE BRINGS THE HOSTS LEVEL OFF A CORNER AND THE IVORIAN FANS EXPLODE!
It’s a wonderful delivery to the far post and Kessie is there to head it inside the woodwork, with Stanley Nwabali unable to get across his line in time. The effort was perfectly placed in the bottom-right corner, and it sends Didier Drogba and the rest of the Ivorian support into euphoria!
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THE GAME IS TIED 🔥🔥
Kessie scores with a header and the game is now 1-1 😱
Watch #Nigeria 🇳🇬 vs #IvoryCoast 🇨🇮 LIVE NOW on #beINSPORTS 📺#NGRCIV #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023Final pic.twitter.com/eEy3WLC7Uw
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Franck Kessié levels for the hosts! ⚖️
What a game we have here! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/D72x4Cf1yx
61st min: Chance, Ivory Coast! Odilon Kossounou has a hit from distance and forces Stanley Nwabali to turn the ball around the post for a corner! That’s a good effort that has a lot of dip, and all Nwabali can do is get a touch to push it over the line.
60th min: Chance, Ivory Coast! Franck Kessie’s header is saved by Stanley Nwabali! Simon Adingra, who’s been excellent down the left for the hosts, crosses to the top of the six-yard box where Kessie is waiting. It’s behind the former Barcelona midfielder, so he contorts his body and lowers himself to redirect the ball on frame, but it’s too close to the Nigerian goalkeeper who gets down low to smother the ball.
57th min: Nigeria make the first change as Moses Simon, who started the semifinal but was dropped here, is brought off the bench to replace Samuel Chukwueze. The AC Milan winger was totally invisible in his 56 minutes of action.
53rd min: Ivory Coast want the referee to have a look at contact on Max Gradel who goes down at the top of the penalty area. It looks like he had his ankle stamped on, but it wasn’t intentional and happened only as he was already falling to the turf on his own. Play is waved on.
In the aftermath, Stanley Nwabali is booked for his taunts of Max Gradel while the latter was on the ground receiving treatment, and then so is Ivorian captain Serge Aurier. The Nigerian goalkeeper wanted Gradel booked for simulation but was fronted up by Aurier in a shouting match.
50th min: Chance, Ivory Coast! CLEARED OFF THE LINE BY NIGERIA! Max Gradel wins a free-kick just to the right of the penalty area, and while the ball wasn’t cleared for a number of seconds, only a blocked shot came from it before it’s eventually sent away by the Nigerian defence.
As Ivory Coast recycle it back in, a wonderful cross from the left unlocked the Super Eagles, leaving Stanley Nwabali sprawled on the deck and the goal gaping. It fell to Gradel who unleashes a piledriver at the open net, but Calvin Bassey got in the way and rejected the effort right on the doorstep!
Le sauvetage de Calvin Massey sur le tir de Max Alain Gradel ! 😱 @beinsports_FR#NGACIV #AFCON2023 pic.twitter.com/lTHHPNsTvQ
Kickoff: They’re under way for the second half in Abidjan! Both these teams have had late magic this tournament, so there’s surely more twists and turns to come over the next 45 minutes or more.
Five of the last six AFCON host nations who reached the final on home soil went on to win. The only that didn’t? Nigeria in 2000. Will the Elephants become the second modern host to fall just 90 minutes short, or will they have another late comeback in them to turn this around?
The Elephants were well in the ascendancy through the first 30 minutes as they were spurred on by the home crowd in Abidjan, but Nigeria picked out the opener against the run of play, turning the match completely on its head.
Nigeria captain William Troost-Ekong, who scored from the penalty spot in the semifinal win over South Africa, came up big again as he headed the Super Eagles in front on 38 minutes, and they have been the better side since that moment. Ivory Coast have some soul-searching to do in the dressing room, lucky to even be sporting 11 players after Franck Kessie got away with throwing an elbow right before the break.
45+4 min: Oh boy, Franck Kessie could be in real trouble here, as he pummels Zaidu Sanusi with his elbow as the Nigerian was racing past the backpedaling Ivorian midfielder. Sanusi is in a heap on the pitch, and replay suggested that contact had real malice and appeared intentional.
Somehow, they play on. The hosts get away with one, as they very well could have been a man down if VAR had taken action. Incredibly, Kessie gets away without even a booking. Extremely lucky.
44th min: Victor Osimhen is whistled for his third foul of the match, and he’s caught letting out a vociferous chuckle as he finds the repeated decisions against him somewhat humorous.
Four minutes of stoppage time are shown, as Osimhen receives treatment for a hamstring niggle, but is able to come back on.
38th min: GOAL! NIGERIA! The Super Eagles have been second best so far, but their captain William Troost-Ekong puts them in front with their first foray forward!
The initial corner delivery to the near post is not cleared well and the ball loops up into the air where Troost-Ekong leaps high into the air above Ivorian captain Serge Aurier, sending a bullet into the back of the net! It’s Nigeria’s second shot of the match, and first on target, but that’s all they need to open the scoring!
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THE CAPTAIN STEPS UP AND PUTS NIGERIA AHEAD ON THE SCOREBOARD 🇳🇬🤩#Nigeria 🇳🇬 vs #IvoryCoast 🇨🇮 LIVE NOW on #beINSPORTS 📺#NGRCIV #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023Final pic.twitter.com/X6WU0f3Kvv
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“It’s captain fantastic to silence the arena!” ©️🤫
Troost-Ekong’s bullet header opens the scoring in the AFCON final! 🇳🇬 pic.twitter.com/TGIYFVZYbj
37th min: Chance, Nigeria! It’s the first shot from the Super Eagles as a mess in midfield sees Zaidu Sanusi get in open space down the left, but Odilon Kossounou comes in strong to make the block and concede a corner. There appeared to be an opening to shoot, but it’s closed down at the last minute.
34th min: Chance, Ivory Coast! WHAT A SAVE BY STANLEY NWABALI! A wonderful later ball by Franck Kessie springs Simon Adingra down the left edge of the six-yard box, and he finds space to shoot from a tight angle. His effort is pinpoint, seeking the inside of the far post, but the Nigerian goalkeeper is up to the task, diving to his left to stop the shot! Another brilliant moment from Nwabali who is having a sensational AFCON tournament!
31st min: There’s even more needle now in this match as Stanley Nwabali comes out to collect a ball and clips Simon Adingra slightly with his knee as he flies by. That brings us to a cooling break, and that phrase has a few meanings as it gives the two squads a chance to chill out with tempers on both sides rising.
26th min: There’s a tussle on the field! An aerial duel between Evan N’Dicka and Victor Osimhen sparks a kerfuffle, as the Roma defender clips Osimhen in the head with his wayward arm. It’s far from any dangerous contact, but Osimhen did not appreciate the extra physicality, and N’Dicka did not back down from his opponent’s advances.
Then moments later Nigeria head coach Jose Peseiro gets a yellow card for absolutely berating the fourth official following another foul called on Osimhen. The Super Eagles boss did not appreciate the whistle blown for his striker’s involvement in an aerial challenge overtop Franck Kessie.
20th min: Chance, Ivory Coast! Another weird mistake at the back for Nigeria as Zaidu Sanusi concedes a corner out of nothing, attempting to head the ball back to his goalkeeper but Stanley Nwabali was nowhere close.
The set-piece delivery falls to Evan N’Dicka at the far post and he goes for the absolutely stunning bicycle kick finish from point-blank range, but his effort hits the side netting. That would have been spectacular and he made good contact, but puts it just inches wide!
11th min: Yikes, Ola Aina looks to clear another Ivorian cross from the right, and blasts it over his own crossbar. That was nervously close to an own-goal. The ensuing corner results in a Seko Fofana shot that’s right into the arms of Stanley Nwabali.
Frank Onyeka then pummels Fofana in midfield, and himself is lucky not to be booked for that thumping midair challenge. The hosts have been by far the better side through the opening stage of this match.
9th min: Franck Kessie is off to the races down the right, and Calvin Bassey shoves him in the back to stop the breakaway, a cynical foul that maybe was deserving of a booking but does not draw an early yellow. Kessie is down needing treatment, as he hit the deck quite hard.
The free-kick is not taken well and easily cleared, but as Ademola Lookman handles the ball while trying to collect the clearance, so it gives the hosts another dead ball opportunity. That one’s also denied by Nigeria’s stout defensive line.
7th min: Chance, Ivory Coast! It’s the first real chance of the match as Ivory Coast misfire on a corner but recycle possession and send a ball to the back post from Max Gradel. The ball is vicious, but evades two attackers, one at the near post and one at the far post, as it goes just out of Sebastien Haller’s reach and out of play. That’s very close!
6th min: It’s been an extremely physical opening few minutes, as Victor Osimhen gets a talking to from the Mauritanian referee after an aggressive foul from behind. There’s been four fouls already in the opening five-plus minutes. You can tell both sets of players have plenty of adrenaline coursing through their veins!
Kickoff: They’re under way at Alassane Ouattara Stadium! An African champion will be crowned at the conclusion of this match, with so much glory on the line in this venue.
Didier Drogba brings out the #AFCON trophy ahead of the final.🇨🇮🏆🇳🇬 pic.twitter.com/bZyXXf3imx
15 mins to kickoff: With the hosts of AFCON 2023 in the final, it will be absolutely rocking in the Ivorian capital of Abidjan as this match draws nearer! Ivorian president Alassane Ouattara, for whom today’s venue is named, is on hand for the match.
President of the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire, His Excellency Alassane Ouattara welcomed by CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe and FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium ahead of AFCON Final pic.twitter.com/OI9fvu8SbM
30 mins to kickoff: One player critical to Ivory Coast’s turnaround has been former Fulham and current Hull City midfielder Jean-Michael Seri, who did not play a single minute in the group stage but has started all three knockout matches under interim head coach Emerse Fae.
Seri has spent his career in and out of the Ivory Coast picture, serving as a main player through 2018 and 2021, but falling out of the mix as he struggled at Fulham and signed for Championship side Hull City. Yet now that he’s seeing regular football for the Tigers as they fight for a promotion playoff spot, he’s been brought back into the fold.
He won the Man of the Match award for the team’s penalty shootout win over Senegal, completing 63 of 66 passes while producing 11 defensive actions and winning 10 of his 16 duels.
🇨🇮 Jean Seri 🇨🇮
Huge performance from the TotalEnergies Man of the Match in The Elephants’ crucial win over the title holders! ⭐️#TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 | #SENCIV | @Football2Gether pic.twitter.com/r5ZZ1vnaWL
45 mins to kickoff: One of the more heartwarming stories from this AFCON tournament has been Sebastien Haller’s continued comeback from testicular cancer. 18 months ago he was subjected to two surgeries and multiple rounds of chemotherapy after the discovery of a tumor.
“I understood what it was to be really afraid,” Haller’s wife said in a documentary for French broadcaster Canal+ called Fight. “I was scared and had the fear of my life.” Now, he leads his nation in an AFCON final, he is trying to “enjoy every moment” he has on the pitch.
Sébastien Haller beat testicular cancer and returned to competitive football in January last year.
A little over a year later, he scored a memorable goal that sent Côte d’Ivoire 🇨🇮 to the AFCON 2023 final. pic.twitter.com/QRtvgmOZ4X
1 hour to kickoff: The Ivory Coast lineup is in as well. Like Nigeria, there are two changes for the Elephants, both coming along the back line.
Full-back and captain Serge Aurier enters in place of Wilfried Singo on the right, while Bayer Leverkusen upstart Odilon Kossounou enters at centre-back for Willy Boly. It’s a big call from interim boss Emerse Fae, who could risk upsetting the team’s form by making such alterations to the lineup in a final.
1 hour 15 mins to kick: Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali has put himself in the driver’s seat for the Golden Glove award at AFCON 2023. He has conceded just two goals all tournament, just one from open play, and led the way as Nigeria advanced through the semifinals on a penalty shootout making a vital save right before Kelechi Iheanacho’s winning effort.
Currently playing for South African club Chippa United, the 27-year-old may have put himself firmly in the shop window for a big move this summer if any European clubs took notice over the past few weeks.
Nigeria GK Stanley Nwabali has made 14 saves in #AFCON2023, with 4 clean sheets and 2 penalty saves to advance to the final.
He had 3 caps prior to the start of the tournament and currently plays club ball for Chippa United in…
South Africa, the side he just eliminated. 😅 pic.twitter.com/4xabvb4Xrd
1 hour 30 mins to kick: Nigeria have continued their habit of releasing their starting lineup earlier than required. There are two changes to the starting XI from head coach Jose Peseiro, as he brings Zaidu Sanusi back from injury into midfield, while Samuel Chukwueze replaces Moses Simon on the wing.
1 hour 45 mins to kick: Ivory Coast, hosts of this year’s AFCON tournament, were dead in the water. An embarrassing 4-0 defeat to Equatorial Guinea in their final group stage match all but sealed their fate, unlikely to advance as a third-place finisher with just three points and a poor goal differential.
It led to the dismissal of head coach Jean-Louis Gasset, with the axe dropping before their exit was even officially confirmed.
Then, the unthinkable happened. Somehow, the hosts found themselves through to the knockout stage as the final third-place qualifier. Now, just 20 days after all 60,000 fans at Alassane Ouattara Olympic Stadium stood in stunned silence, the home crowd at that very same venue will again be at full voice as their beloved Elephants play for the title. Never, ever, give the hosts new life.
Le Stade Olympique Alassane Ouattara d’Ebimpé pic.twitter.com/ROrtVBAQZ2
2 hours to kickoff: As the reigning African Player of the Year, the continent’s highest individual honour, Victor Osimhen was expected to lead Nigeria from the front as they pushed for AFCON glory. If you told a Super Eagles fan before the competition that Nigeria would reach the final, you’d expect Osimhen to be near the front of the Golden Boot race.
Instead, he has just one single goal, coming in their very first group-stage match of the tournament. Yet he’s still been front and center of all Nigeria’s attacking moves, collecting chances for himself and opening up spaces for teammates as well. Osimhen has seen a goal disallowed by VAR in each of the past two games and has served up three assists as the likes of Ademola Lookman and Alex Iwobi profit from the attention on their talisman striker.
Osimhen doesn’t play like he’s the star man. He works hard and suffers for the team – Nigeria coach Jose Peseiro#JoyAFCON | #AFCON2023 pic.twitter.com/rVz0W2asvQ
There was a scare for Nigeria when Victor Osimhen was stretchered off late against Angola in the quarterfinal victory, but he was cleared for action in the semifinals and will be available to take the field here as well. Alongside him, Samuel Chukwueze takes over on the wing for Moses Simon in the only tactical change for the final.
The Super Eagles are missing the attacking presence of Victor Boniface, who was injured in pre-tournament training and has missed not only the entire AFCON competition, but will also be out for the next few weeks after returning to Bayer Leverkusen for his recovery.
Also absent due to injury is midfielder Wilfred Ndidi, who is missing after suffering a long-term muscle injury, while Umar Sadiq of Real Sociedad is not with the squad due to a knee problem. Left wing-back Zaidu Sanusi was missing from the semifinal starting lineup, and while he was a doubt for the final according to head coach Jose Peseiro, he has returned to full availability.
Nigeria starting lineup (3-4-3): Nwabili (GK) — Ajayi, Troost-Ekong, Bassey — Sanusi, Onyeka, Iwobi, Aina — Chukwueze, Osimhen, Lookman.
Nigeria subs (12): Uzoho (GK), Omeruo, Awaziem, Osayi-Samuel, Onyedika, Aribo, Onuachu, Yusuf, Simon, Musa, Iheahacho, Moffi.
There are no new injuries to the Ivory Coast squad to worry about as they gear up for the AFCON final. They are without oft-injured defender Eric Bailly, and Wilfried Zaha was controversially left off the roster for the tournament.
Star striker Sebastien Haller missed the group stage with an ankle injury, but has returned for the knockout matches, playing his first full 90 minutes of the competition in the semifinals when his second-half goal provided Ivory Coast their place in the title game.
There are two changes along the Ivory Coast back line, with Odilon Kossounou and captain Serge Aurier entering the XI, replacing Wilfried Singo and Willy Boly.
Ivory Coast starting lineup (4-3-3): Y. Fofana (GK) — Aurier, Kossounou, N’Dicka, Konan — Kessie, Seri, Fofana — Gradel, Haller, Adingra.
Ivory Coast subs (12): W. Sangare (GK), Singo, Diomande, Diallo, Lazare, I. Sangare, Diakite, Bamba, Boga, Pepe, Krasso, Kouame.
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The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final between Nigeria and Ivory Coast will be broadcast on beIN Sports in the United States and Canada, with a Spanish-language broadcast available on beIN Sports en Espanol.
Both channels are available to stream on Fubo in both the United States (Fubo USA) and Canada (Fubo Canada). It can also be streamed on beIN Sports’ platform for those with valid login credentials.
BeIN Sports is also the rights-holder in Australia, with the match broadcast on beIN Sports 2. In the UK, the match will be broadcast by both BBC and Sky Sports across multiple platforms, as well as the dedicated streaming services for both providers.
Kyle Bonn is a soccer content producer for The Sporting News.
