Evening Standard
·11 February 2024
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Yahoo sportsEvening Standard
·11 February 2024
The final of the Africa Cup of Nations is upon us as Nigeria take Ivory Coast in a huge showdown tonight
It’s the Super Eagles against the resurgent tournament hosts in Abidjan for the second time in this year’s AFCON, with the two sides having also met during the group stages.
On that occasion, Nigeria captain William Troost-Ekong’s second-half penalty after a foul by Ousmane Diomande on Victor Osimhen handed Jose Peseiro’s side a hard-earned 1-0 win.
Nigeria ended up finishing as runners-up to surprise package Equatorial Guinea in Group A, after which they brushed aside Cameroon and squeezed beyond Angola before holding their nerve against South Africa in a dramatic semi-final penalty shootout.
Ivory Coast, meanwhile, looked likely to make an embarrassing early exit from their home AFCON after being thrashed by Equatorial Guinea in their final group match and sacking head coach Jean-Louis Gasset, but they ended up sneaking through to the knockout stages as a best third-place team.
Now under the tutelage of caretaker boss Emerse Fae, the Elephants eliminated holders Senegal on penalties and saw off Mali after extra time before Sebastien Haller’s goal sunk DR Congo in the last four.
Nigeria are three-time champions of Africa looking for their first title since 2013, while Ivory Coast won the last of their two continental crowns during a golden era in 2015.
TV channel: In the UK, Sunday night’s final will be shown live and free-to-air on BBC Three, with coverage beginning at 7:30pm GMT ahead of an 8pm kick-off.