Cote d’Ivoire will face Nigeria in the final match of the 2023 AFCON after a 1-0 semi-final win over DR Congo on Wednesday, February 7, 2024.
Cote d’Ivoire clinched a spot in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations following a hard-fought 1-0 win against DR Congo.
Their triumph sets the stage for an exciting final showdown against Nigeria, scheduled to take place on Sunday.
This final match between Cote d’Ivoire and Nigeria carries additional significance as both teams previously clashed during the group stages of the tournament.
Remarkably, this will mark the fourth occasion in history that Nigeria will face a team they encountered in the group stage in the final match of the Africa Cup of Nations.
The first instance occurred in 1988 when Nigeria drew 1-1 with Cameroon in Group B at Rabat before facing the same team in the final match.
This pattern repeated in 1990 when Nigeria faced Algeria in the group stage and subsequently met them again in the final. The trend continued in 2013 when Nigeria encountered Burkina Faso during the group stage and later squared off against them in the final match.
Additionally, Cote d’Ivoire has made history by becoming the second team after Nigeria to advance to the title match despite suffering a four-goal deficit in the group stage.
Nigeria experienced a similar scenario in 1990 when they lost 5-1 to Algeria in the group stage but managed to reach the final to face Algeria once more.
Similarly, Cote d’Ivoire faced a 4-0 defeat in the group stage but has successfully progressed to the final.
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