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The AFCON final will be contested between hosts Ivory Coast and the impressive Nigeria. The game takes place on Sunday 11th February and will kick off at 8pm UK time.
Nigeria
Despite drawing their opening group game 1-1 with Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria have barely put a foot wrong during AFCON and they have managed to book their place in the AFCON final this weekend. The Super Eagles subsequently kept clean sheets since Guinea-Bissau, fellow finalists Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Angola before overcoming South Africa via a penalty shootout.
Match has ended
It was a huge relief for the Super Eagles, who had lost five of the last six penalty shootouts, however, they deserved to progress given they were cruelly denied a goal in the second half. Victor Osimhen thought he’d put his 2-0 up, however, a VAR intervention cancelled the goal and awarded opponents South Africa a penalty. Nigeria held their nerve during the shootout and progressed courtesy of Kelechi Iheanacho’s decisive spotkick.
It would have been easy for the 2013 Champions to crumble at this stage and they almost conceded again five minutes into stoppage time, yet, once RSA had been reduced to ten men, the pendulum swung back in the Super Eagles’ favour.
It’s been 11 years since Nigeria enjoyed success at this tournament with their best effort coming in 2019 when they secured third place in Egypt. Having struggled in 2021, finishing ninth overall, this is a much-needed boost for the three-time AFCON winners.
Nigeria’s squad is packed full of talent with the aforementioned Osimhen being the reigning African Footballer of the Year. He is joined by Ademola Lookman, Samuel Chukwueze, Moses Simon, Alex Iwobi, Teremas Moffi and the experienced William Troost-Ekong. Coach Jose Peseiro has plenty of options at his disposal and he was able to rest and rotate players during the additional thirty minutes vs South Africa.
Ivory Coast
It’s been a tumultuous tournament for the hosts Ivory Coast, who have somehow reached the final, despite enduring a disastrous group stage and parting ways with their manager half-way through the competition. As the first AFCON hosts to reach the final since Egypt in 2006, the Elephants will be hoping to finish the story and cap off a remarkable few weeks.
They will also be hoping to exact revenge on Nigeria, who beat them 1-0 during the group stage and contributed to the sacking of Jean-Louis Gasset. Emerse Fae has taken over and has done a wonderful job in steering the hosts through the knock-out stages.
Ivory Coast’s worst moment of the tournament came against Equatorial Guinea as they were hammered 4-0 in the third and final group stage contest. Nevertheless, they managed to progress as the best third-placed side and they haven’t looked back since.
They required penalties to edge past the impressive Senegal before netting a 120th minute winner to sneak past Mali in a bad-tempered affair. Their 1-0 win over DR Congo was far more straightforward and they will relish the chance to lift the trophy on home soil.
They are searching for a third success at this tournament, with their last triumph coming eight years ago when the tournament was held in Equatorial Guinea. On that occasion, they won three of their six games and unlike their performances in 2024, they were extremely convincing and deserved champions.
Sebastian Haller has been one of their standout performers alongside Franck Kessie and Brighton’s Simon Adingra.
Head to Head
This is one of the more recent head-to-heads with the two sides having met during the group stage. On that occasion, Nigeria were 1-0 winners courtesy of a William Troost-Ekong penalty.
The last meeting between these two sides at AFCON was in 2013, the year of Nigeria’s last triumph. The Super Eagles were 2-1 winners on that occasion, however, Ivory Coast had been victorious in the two previous AFCON meetings back in 2006 and 2008.
Only two of the last seven meetings have finished with more than three goals.
Key Betting Stats
- Each of the last three meetings between these sides has seen one of the two teams draw a blank.
- Three of the last six AFCON finals have required extra time or penalties.
- Egypt were the last host nation to clinch an AFCON title on home soil back in 2006
- Only one AFCON final since 2004 has featured three or more goals
- Nigeria have conceded just two goals during this tournament, one of which was a controversial penalty.
- Ivory Coast have managed just two clean sheets at AFCON
Match Prediction
AFCON finals tend to be cagey and there may not be much between these sides. Nigeria are defending stoutly whereas Ivory Coast have improved as the tournament has progressed. This could be tight.
Winning Combo
Ivory Coast to Lift the Trophy and Under 3 Goals
7/4 with Bet365
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