The jubilation continues within Ivory Coast following the triumph of the Elephants in clinching the African Cup of Nations title after defeating Nigeria 2-1 in yesterday’s final match.
Hassan Ouattara, the President of Ivory Coast, has decided to grant employees paid leave today, Monday, in celebration of the Ivorian national team’s African victory, according to Ivorian news reports.
This marks Ivory Coast’s third title in the African tournament, following victories in 1992 in Senegal and 2015 in Equatorial Guinea, both times at the expense of Ghana.
The Ivorian national team has made history by becoming the first team in the African Cup of Nations to finish third in its group and win the championship.
This victory marks the 12th occasion in history that the host country has clinched the African Cup of Nations title, the first since Egypt’s victory in 2006.
Sebastien Haller, the Ivorian striker, has become the first player in his country’s history to score the winning goal in an African Cup of Nations final.
Remarkably, the team secured the title twice before via penalty shootouts.
Additionally, Emerse Fae, the coach of Ivory Coast, has become the first coach to win the African Cup of Nations without starting the edition as the coach of his national team.
Ivory Coast hosted the 34th edition of the African Cup of Nations from January 13 to February 11, 2024, with 24 teams participating in the competition.
The decision to grant paid leave underscores the significance of the victory for the nation, highlighting the unity and pride felt by Ivorians across the country in their team’s achievement on the continental stage.
