As Elephants’ TotalEnergies CAF AFCON dream lives on

Franck Kessie Photo Credit: CAFONLINE

Cote d’Ivoire midfielder Franck Kessie is daring to dream after inspiring his nation into the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON final.

Kessie produced a Man of the Match display to secure a 1-0 semi-final win over DR Congo. Now, he believes Cote d’Ivoire can achieve something special on home soil.

Kessie has been integral to the Elephants’ run, marshaling the engine room with power and poise. After narrowly scraping through their group, Cote d’Ivoire has ignited hopes of a ‘miracle’ triumph.

And AC Milan star Kessie is determined to deliver for expectant Ivorian fans. “When you have a crowd like ours, the best in the world, we must go all the way,” he declared after beating DR Congo.

That win followed Kessie’s honest locker room interventions during the group stage. “The defeat against Equatorial Guinea was a wake-up call for us. We took the opportunity to speak honestly with each other and take responsibility,” explained Kessie.

Cote d’Ivoire has been rejuvenated since, finding form when it matters most. Kessie believes the final being held at President Alassane Ouattara Stadium gives added motivation.

“This stadium bears the name of our President, and we must honor it. We still have a long way to go. We should have a glorious history here, and it’s up to us to write the next chapter,” he said.

Victory on Sunday would spark ecstatic scenes nationwide. Nigeria stands in the way, but Kessie focuses only on today’s celebrations before turning attention to his former club.

Kessie’s leadership and authority could make a difference against Nigeria’s flair. If the Elephants achieve TotalEnergies CAF AFCON glory, Kessie’s midfield masterclass will have paved the way.

The Panther has already etched his name into Ivorian folklore by fuelling Cote d’Ivoire’s miracle. Now, Kessie wants to cement legendary status by winning on home soil.

AFCON 2023: Nigeria overpowers South Africa 4-2 on penalties to reach Cup Final

Nigeria stepped gingerly into the Championship Match of the 34th Africa Cup of Nations after a turgid 120-minute battle with South Africa that eventually went into a nail-biting penalty shootout in Cote d’Ivoire’s second city, Bouake, on Wednesday. The game ended 1-1 after extra time, and the Super Eagles triumphed 4-2 after penalties.

It was dubbed the “Ampiano Derby,’ but there was so much piggybacking on the game, and as the players stepped onto the turf of the Stade de la Paix, it was apparent that they were determined to fight a ‘war.’

Sphephelo Sithole got his leg to a through ball as the Bafana Bafana poured forward in the quarter-hour, but Nigeria goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali would never be beaten that way. Minutes later, Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman combined to pull something out of the chestnut, but the defense lines of Teboho Mokoena, Aubrey Mobida, and Siyanda Xulu were very much on the alert.

Nwabali was again on the alert in the 28^th minute to break the heart of Percy Tau, and nine minutes later, Alex Iwobi’s shot from the edge of the box was too feeble to rattle goalkeeper and captain Ronwen Williams.

In the 39^th minute, Nwabali again denied Tau as the forward concocted a chip. Osimhen failed to direct his header well at the other end when Ola Aina sped down the left and heaved the ball into the opposition box.

Osimhen again failed to direct his header correctly in the 57^th minute. Eight minutes later, Nigeria earned a penalty after the tireless Osimhen was upended in the box as he went on a sharp solo. William Ekong made no mistake from the spot.

In the 72nd minute, Osimhen, substitute Chukwueze, and Lookman had the Bafana defense flat-footed, only for Osimhen to get too much purchase on the ball when he tried to find Lookman for the final delivery.

Evidence Magkopa got behind the Nigeria defense in the 75^th minute and watched his fierce shot roll aimlessly away. For a response, Chukwueze and Aribo combined to set Lookman free in the middle, but the striker was checkmated.

With five minutes left, the Eagles broke forward in a sweeping team move. The irrepressible Lookman sped away from the middle and found Bright Osayi-Samuel on the right, and the defender’s cross-screened goalkeeper Williams allowed Osimhen a simple tap-in. After ruling it a goal, Egyptian referee Amin Mohamed Omar’s attention was called to an earlier incident in the Nigerian box. Instead, he awarded a penalty to South Africa, converted by Teboho Mokoena.

In extra time, Lookman watched his shot parried by Williams, who then saved a shot by Osimhen. Osimhen headed slightly over the bar as Nigeria searched for a means to end the encounter without going into a penalty shootout.

In the ensuing penalty shootout, Williams, who had saved four in the shootout against Cape Verde that saw the Bafana Bafana reach the last four, could not stop any of Nigeria’s kicks. Only Ola Aina booted his kick over the sticks. Terem Moffi, Kenneth Omeruo, Ekong, and Kelechi Iheanacho scored, while Nwabali saved two of South Africa’s kicks and was duly named Man of the Match.

In the event, Nigeria will play in the Final of the continent’s flagship football competition for the eighth time.

The Super Eagles will take on tournament surprise team and host Cote d’Ivoire in the Final on Sunday night at the 60,000–capacity Stade Olympique Alassane Ouattara in Ebimpe, outside Abidjan.

 Elephants’ coach likens Cote d’Ivoire’s AFCON 2023 feat to a dream

DR Congo misses out on another TotalEnergies CAF AFCON final

D.R Congo’s dream of reaching the final of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Côte d’Ivoire 2023 is over after losing to host Cotê d’Ivoire 1-0 at the Stade Alassane Ouattara in Ebimpe, Abidjan.

Despite a good run, D.R. Congo will not be making another final.

The Leopards made their last final appearance in 1974 and won what still stands as their last TotalEnergies CAF AFCON trophy.

Before the triumph in 1974, DR Congo, known as Zaire, had won the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON for the first time in 1968 in Ethiopia.

With three draws, D.R. Congo started their TotalEnergies CAF AFCON Côte d’Ivoire 2023 campaign. Still, it gathered momentum in the knockout phase, where they knocked out record holders Egypt and Guinea in the round of 16 and quarter-finals, respectively.

But the step was too high in the last four against Côte d’Ivoire as they lost by 1-0.

DR Congo has not reached this stage of the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON since 2015 in Equatorial Guinea and has been dreaming of reaching the final for 50 years.

The Leopards will, therefore, have to pull out all the stops again if they are to claim the bronze medal that will crown a fine TotalEnergies CAF AFCON Côte d’Ivoire 2023, when they face South Africa on Saturday, 10 February, in Abidjan.

TotalEnergies CAF AFCON semi-finals: Five things to look out for

The two semi-final matches of the TotalEnergies CAF African Cup of Nations will be played Wednesday in Bouake and Abidjan.

Nigeria will take on South Africa, while hosts Cote d’Ivoire will play DR Congo in the last four games.

Below are the five things to look out for.

Battle of the shot-stoppers

An interesting goalkeeper battle will ensue in Bouake. Stanley Nwabali has only conceded one goal with the Super Eagles en route to the three-time champions to the semi-finals.

Ironically, Nwabali plies his trade in South Africa for Chippa United and has faced Bafana Bafana shot-stopper Ronwen Williams before at the club level.

High in confidence following his heroic displays against Cape Verde that saw him make history by saving four spot-kicks, Williams will be hoping to continue in his rich vein of form.

Ademola Lookman chasing the golden boot

Despite being knocked out of the competition, Equatorial Guinea’s Emilio Nsue Lopez still tops the goalscoring charts with five goals.

Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman has been enjoying a rich vein of form accompanied by three goals that bring him into contention for the Golden Boot.

Bouake bids farewell

The Stade de la Paix in Boake hosts its last TotalEnergies CAF AFCON Cote d’Ivoire match after playing host to Group D matches and the previous two knockout rounds.

Several exciting matches took place at the venue. They were made memorable by the highly vocal and colorful fans of Bouake, who are expected to create an excellent atmosphere for one last time on Wednesday.

DR Congo is looking at causing a major upset 

Cote d’Ivoire will be looking at painting a different picture from the humiliating 4-0 thrashing suffered at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Ebimpe at the hands of Equatorial Guinea in the group stages.

On Wednesday, they face a determined DR Congo side ready to cause another upset in front of a sold-out 60,000-capacity arena.

New finalists guaranteed 

The TotalEnergies CAF AFCON Cote d’Ivoire 2023 has seen a number of upsets.

All four semi-finalists in this year’s edition were not in the last edition’s semi-final, guaranteeing two new finalists after the semi-final round on Wednesday. The two finalists remain to be seen.

Napoli striker returns to training with Nigeria after minor fitness scare

Victor Osimhen rejoined the Nigeria national team squad for training on Tuesday after a minor fitness scare following the Super Eagles’ victory in the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final, Peter Young reports for Football Italia.

Osimhen had been stretchered off for precautionary reasons in injury time of Nigeria’s 1-0 victory over Angola on Friday evening, and reports in recent days detailed that he had also been struggling with an abdominal problem.

The 25-year-old did not travel with the team to their training base in the Ivorian city of Bouake on Monday. Instead, he stayed put in Abidjan with a few members of Nigeria’s medical staff for medical checks.

However, Osimhen has rejoined the rest of the Super Eagles squad and took part in training as usual on Tuesday afternoon, a statement from the Nigeria national team’s official social media channels confirmed.

Nigeria has also confirmed that Osimhen is fit and available to start in the semi-final against South Africa on Wednesday, which begins at 17.00 GMT.

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Aina: Nigeria primed and ready for South Africa semi-final showdown

Nobody gave us a chance to get this far- Hugo Broos

South Africa head coach Hugo Broos has said his side is motivated to play against Nigeria in the semi-finals of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Côte d’Ivoire 2023, CAFonline reports.

According to Hugo Broos, getting to the semi-finals motivates them based on the country’s recent performance in the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON.

“We are delighted and motivated that we play tomorrow in the semi-finals of the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON; for many people, it was unexpected, but we did it and ensured South Africa became a good team, and also it’s more than 20 years ago that South Africa played in the semi-finals and even more than that we played in the finals, so what that means is that we have a lot of motivation,” he said.

The Belgian tactician admitted to Nigeria’s quality but maintained his confidence in his squad for the crucial game.

“We are playing against a good team tomorrow, number 6 in the ranking, that means a lot for players playing for us.

In recent meetings, Nigeria has had the upper hand on South Africa, but it’s not a worrying situation for Hugo Broos.

“For many, Nigeria is the favorite to win, but it’s not always the case in football; we are confident and motivated to try and ensure it doesn’t happen, and South Africa will play in the final for the first time in 20 years,” he concluded.

Interview with Super Eagles legend Daniel Amokachi

Nigeria takes on South Africa in the semi-finals of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2023 on Wednesday, 07 February, in Bouake.

This will be a meeting of two old-time foes with an intense rivalry dominated by Nigeria in the 14 times they have met, where Nigeria won 7, lost 2, and drew the other 5.

A man who knows a lot about this meeting is other than TotalEnergies CAF AFCON winning star Daniel Amokachi, who won it as a player in 1994 as well as assistant to the late Stephan Keshi when the Super Eagles lifted the title on South African soil in 2013.

The Bull, as he was affectionately known during his playing days, is amongst the star-studded lineup of CAF commentators and analysts in Cote d’Ivoire.

In this sit-down with CAFOnline, he goes down memory lane on the 1994 success, honors the late Stephan Keshi, and shares his views on the similarities between the current Super Eagles generation and 1994 and 2013.

Daniel, we are just a few days away from resuming the competition, but just briefly take us back to your playing days and the success of your generation.

The 1994 success started in 1989 when Clemens Westerhof took charge of the Nigerian national team. He’s going around the country selecting quality players. I remember when he met me. First, in Abidjan (laughs), we played Asec Mimosas in the WAFU Cup final, where we won 3-1, and I scored a brace.

He came into the locker room, and I was told there was someone who wanted to see me. I was 16 then, and when I met him, he said I had an excellent game and wanted me to play for the Nigerian national team. I said I was too young, and he insisted and said we would qualify for the WC for the first time and win the AFCON. It didn’t make sense, but years later, it did, and that’s why I always say the 1994 success started in 1989.

We played the slickest football in 1994, and to date, people still reminisce about it.

Looking at your AFCON 1994 triumph, are there any similarities you can draw from the 1994, 2013, and 2023 generations?

Similarities in a couple of ways. First, the big boss, Stephan Keshi, won it for us. It was a significant loss for Nigerian and global football because he was destined to be one of the greatest coaches from Africa.

We drew our first and second games in 2013. Nigeria drew their first game here, and the similarities are that Keshi was almost sacked after the first game, and Peseiro was nearly sacked in the first game.

How we won it in 2013 is similar to what is happening now. We grew from strength to strength one game at a time, and 2023 is identical. Game 1 wasn’t good, game 2 got a little better, game 3 was still shaky, game four was starting to shape up, and this is what has happened this year where we are peaking at the right time.

In 2013, we had an individual quality like Sunday Mba, who won it for us, which is sometimes needed for such competition.

We had Emenike, and now we have Moses, so the strength up front is similar. At the back, we had the big man, Joseph Yobo, and now we Ekong, showing that leadership and a rock in the back.

What do you make of this current South African team compared to previous years?

I’m a big fan of a team represented by homegrown players. We should give credit to SAFA and the League. The League is doing well and that is why we see the quality football.

They are the only country that has a philosophy that is well known, so thumbs up to SA for that because it dates back to previous generations and has lived on. They have quality, and it speaks volumes about the League. They also have a good coach in Hugo Broos. I was under him at Club Brugge when I scored my first UEFA Champions League goal.

When you look at the Nigerian team, we have the potential and can dominate African football if we keep our minds right. South Africa has a good style of football and keeps possession well. I love their number 10, Percy Tau, so there is a lot to look at, and I think it will be a good game. The team that wants it more will come out top.

What did you make of your stay in Cote d’Ivoire during this competition?

First, it starts when you land at the airport—the treatment, getting stamped, getting transport, driving through the city, and arriving at your hotel. We could sense that the AFCON is here, so it is up to CAF. The stadiums have been world-class. The hospitality from the Ivorian people is top-notch. If you have not enjoyed football, then you don’t know football.

How would you rate the standard of football in this edition?

The shock results have been there. Equatorial Guinea topped a group with Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire, and Cape Verde topped a group with Ghana and Egypt, the hosts finishing third and potentially going to the final. So I rate it highly, and I would say now at the semi-final, it is already at 99% perfect, and now we wait for the final for the 1%. Congratulations to CAF for making our football grow; we can see it happening.