Despite suffering a 4-0 defeat to Equatorial Guinea in the group stages, undergoing a mid-tournament managerial change by dismissing Jean-Louis Gasset and appointing assistant Emerse Fae, narrowly advancing past Senegal on penalties in the last 16, securing a last-minute equalizer against Mali, and ultimately clinching the quarter-final victory in extra time— Ivory Coast wins AFCON 2023 to become the Africa Cup of Nations champions, marking one of the most remarkable journeys in the tournament’s history.
Sebastian Haller led Ivory Coast to a 2-1 victory over Nigeria for their third Africa Cup of Nations title. The host nation thrilled fans in Abidjan with Haller’s winning volley nine minutes from the end, responding to Franck Kessie’s equalizer to William Troost-Ekong’s first-half header. Ivory Coast had a strong start, creating better chances in the first half through Max Gradel and Simon Adingra.
Nevertheless, it was Nigeria that secured the lead seven minutes before halftime, with Troost-Ekong scoring his third goal of the tournament with a header. The Super Eagles had maintained an unbeaten record in their previous 22 matches in the competition when scoring first. However, the hosts mounted a comeback just after the hour mark, with Kessie heading in Adringa’s corner.
Adingra played a crucial role once again as the Elephants clinched a dramatic victory in the 81st minute. The Brighton & Hove Albion winger provided the cross for Haller to poke the ball past Stanley Nwabali at the near post.
“CANCER SURVIVOR HALLER LEADS IVORY COAST TO AFCON HAT-TRICK AS HOST NATION”
What a remarkable journey for Ivory Coast, and an equally extraordinary one for Sebastian Haller. Before this year, no team that finished third in their Africa Cup of Nations group had gone on to win the trophy. The Elephants faced challenges during the group stages, leading to the replacement of head coach Jean-Louis Gasset by his assistant Emerse Fae.
Despite barely advancing from Group A as the fourth-best third-placed team, Ivory Coast navigated through challenges, defeating reigning champions Senegal on penalties and overcoming Mali in extra time. They secured a 1-0 victory against Congo DR in the semi-final, culminating in a come-from-behind win to achieve a historic hat-trick of triumphs, adding to their successes in 1992 and 2015.
Sebastian Haller’s story is equally remarkable. Diagnosed with testicular cancer in July 2022, for which he successfully underwent treatment, his journey reached a pinnacle as he scored the crucial goal, making Ivory Coast the first host nation to lift the trophy since Egypt in 2006.
MAN OF THE MATCH – SIMON ADINGRA (IVORY COAST)
Instrumental in both of Ivory Coast’s goals, Adingra delivered a standout performance when his nation needed it most. The Elephants winger led the statistics with the highest number of chances created (six) and touches in the opposition box (eight). Adingra also excelled in duels, contesting the most (18), and showcased his skill with the most successful dribbles (five). Notably, one of these successful dribbles led to the exquisite delivery that set up Haller to score.
South Africa’s Williams beats Super Eagles’ Nwabali to Golden Glove
Ronwen Williams, South Africa’s goalkeeper, won the Golden Glove at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, beating Nigeria’s Stanley Nwabali. Williams kept five clean sheets, conceding only twice in the tournament. In the final, Nwabali conceded twice, losing 2-1, and kept four clean sheets. Notably, both goalkeepers play in South Africa – Nwabali for Chippa United and Williams for Mamelodi Sundowns.
Troost-Ekong wins Player of the Tournament
William Troost-Ekong, the captain of the Super Eagles, has been honored as the best player of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) during the awards ceremony by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). Troost-Ekong contributed three goals to Nigeria’s journey, guiding them to a second-place finish in the AFCON.
Other Awards as Ivory Coast Wins AFCON 2023
Emilo Nsue from Equatorial Guinea secured the Golden Boot award with five goals throughout the tournament.
Emerse Fae, the coach of Cote D’Ivoire, received the Coach of the Tournament award for leading his team to AFCON glory. Additionally, the Fair Play award went to Bafana Bafana of South Africa.
AFCON Awards 2023 Full List
| Category | Winner |
| Best Goalkeeper | Ronwen Williams – South Africa |
| Fair Play Team award | South Africa |
| Golden Boot winner | Emilio Nsue – Equatorial Guinea (5 goals) |
| Silver Boot winner | Gelson Dala – Angola (4 goals) |
| Bronze Boot winner | Mostafa Mohamed – Egypt (4 goals) |
| Man of the Competition | William Troost-Ekong – Nigeria |
| Best Young Player award | Simon Adingra – Ivory Coast |
| Best Coach award | Emerse Faé – Ivory Coast |
AFCON 2023 Champions: Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast, the tournament hosts, claimed the title despite encountering early challenges. They orchestrated a remarkable comeback to defeat Nigeria 2-1 in the final. Franck Kessie and Haller were the scorers for the triumphant team, while William Troost-Ekong found the net for the Super Eagles.
AFCON 2023 Runners-up: Nigeria
The Super Eagles of Nigeria finished as the runners-up. Despite taking an initial lead in the first half, Nigeria struggled to maintain possession and faced a relentless onslaught from Ivory Coast.
AFCON 2023 Third Place: South Africa
Ronwen Williams’ stellar performances secured the third-place finish for Bafana Bafana. They clinched victory in a penalty shootout against DR Congo.