The Ivory Coast national team is currently experiencing one of the most remarkable chapters in its history at the Africa Cup of Nations, with a journey marked by unbelievable twists and turns over the past two weeks.
Just days ago, Ivory Coast, the host nation, secured a spot in the tournament’s semi-finals with a last-minute victory over Mali in a dramatic encounter.
However, the story of the “Elephants” throughout the championship has been nothing short of surreal.
A Stable Start
In the tournament’s opening match, the Ivory Coast national team displayed a solid performance, defeating Guinea-Bissau 2-0, positioning themselves as strong contenders for the title.
A Reversal of Fortune
Following the promising start, the situation took an unexpected turn. The “Elephants” suffered a 0-1 defeat against Nigeria, followed by a humiliating 0-4 loss to Equatorial Guinea in their final group-stage match.
The heavy defeat left millions of fans and most players in despair, believing their journey in the tournament had come to an end.
Coach Dismissal
The Ivorian Football Federation promptly took action by dismissing their French coach, Jean-Louis Gasset, from his position.
However, an unexpected twist unfolded with Morocco defeating Zambia, granting Ivory Coast a qualification ticket as one of the best third-placed teams in the tournament, due to Ghana and Zambia’s failure to secure any victories.
A Wild Match
Ivory Coast advanced to face the reigning champions, Senegal, and all global expectations pointed towards the “Elephants” exiting the tournament in a painful manner, especially with the reliance on interim coach Ernst Véry.
Contrary to expectations, Ivory Coast achieved the unexpected by eliminating Senegal in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw in the final moments of regular time.
Quarterfinal Struggles
In the subsequent match against Mali, Ivory Coast faced numerous challenges.
The troubles began with a penalty awarded to Mali, which was missed by Mali’s star player Adama Traoré.
Soon after, Ivory Coast’s defender Odilon Kossounou received a red card in the first half, complicating matters for the resilient team.
Despite Mali scoring with a quarter of an hour left, Ivory Coast managed to equalize in the 90th minute, igniting celebrations in Abidjan.
In extra time, with only ten players on the field, Ivory Coast snatched the winning goal in the dying seconds of the match, continuing their miraculous journey and advancing to the semi-finals after teetering on the brink of a heartbreaking exit.
Now, the “Elephants” prepare to script history as they face the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Wednesday evening, in what could be the most extraordinary journey ever witnessed by an African national team towards the final of the Africa Cup of Nations.
