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The 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) ongoing in Ivory Coast has been impressive since the competition kicked off on January 13, 2024.
From the group stages to the knockout phases, each game describes a narrative and it has unraveled the tenacity of Africa and the African populace- equally, it discloses how to mettle towards excellence.
Take your eyes off the screen of the ongoing AFCON competition for few seconds and you’re about to miss some action-themed contest.
The host, Ivory Coast (otherwise known as Cote D’Ivoire) is currently writing a narrative at the ongoing AFCON narrative on home soil and it has been fascinating to say the least.
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On Saturday, February 3, they booked their spot in the semifinals of the 2023 AFCON tournament to book a spot against DR Congo. Their advancement of course didn’t come without intense drama and pandemonium.
The Elephants of Ivory Coast fought for this progression; they struggled to be in the final four.
Against all odds, the question must be asked, how did Ivory Coast reach the semifinals?
Following an opening day win against Guinea-Bissau, the Elephants lost their following Group A matches. Losing 1-0 to Super Eagles of Nigeria before suffering a humiliating 4-0 loss against Equatorial Guinea.
After biting their nails and chewing their lips in the coming days to see what awaits their fate in the AFCON competition, they fortunately finished as one of the ‘best losers’.
In the Second Round, they had to wait until the final minutes of the game against Senegal to further the game into extra time after trailing for predominantly huge part of the game.
They emerged winners of the Francophone contest, winning 5-3 on penalties.
Up next, Mali… another French-speaking nation.
If the contest against Senegal was enthralling in the round of 16, the game against Mali had everything. These includes- drama, chaos, blood, sweat and tears. The game against Mali had everything a casual football lover would want.
For the next 120 minutes, fans were kept at the edge of their seats.
Adama Traore had failed to put Malians in the lead after his spot kick was saved in the first half, it was Nene Dorgeles in the 71st stunning strike that sent the stadium into ruckus.
Once again, Ivorians thought they were on their way out until Brighton’s midfielder, Simon Adingra brought them back into the game in the concluding minutes of second half.
Phew! Here we go again, extra-time.
In Ivory Coast’s atypical style in recent times, the won the match very late. At the death of the game, Oumar Diakite got the winning goal before he, was then sent off along with Mali’s Hamari Traore.
Ivory Coast is towing a path that is nefarious, despite being risky, it is breathtaking and football fans across the globe cannot help but applaud the resilience of the host.
It would be interesting to watch how the semifinal contest against Democratic Republic of Congo plays out in the coming days.
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