The most superstitious Nigerians will see this as a positive sign. If history wants to repeat itself, then it will undoubtedly be in their favor. Three times, Nigeria won the African Cup of Nations (CAN), and it systematically faced Ivory Coast during the tournament, in the group stage as in 1980 in Lagos (0-0), in the semi-finals. finals in 1994 in Tunis (2-2, 4-3 in the tabs) or in the quarter-finals in Rustenburg (South Africa) in 2013 (2-1).
On January 18, the Super Eagles also beat the Ivorians on the second day (1-0) thanks to a penalty from their captain William Troost-Ekong at the Alassane-Ouattara stadium in Ebimpé, where the final of the CAN Sunday February 11. Will they repeat their performance?
The anecdote does not particularly move Yéo Martial, who led the Elephants to their first continental title in Senegal in 1992. “Bad streaks are meant to end. Moreover, the Democratic Republic of Congo [RDC] had until this year always beaten the organizing country in the semi-finals. But this time, she lost (0-1) against the Elephants on Wednesday »sweeps away the former coach, his voice cracking from having encouraged his compatriots during the clash against the Leopards on February 7.
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Style difference
If Côte d’Ivoire wins the CAN on Sunday, it will equal its opponent of the day in the competition record. These two West African giants had never met in the final, and experienced a very different tournament. “Nigeria was consistent. From the start of the tournament, it appeared as a contender for the title, while the Ivory Coast’s path is much more winding. They came close to elimination in the first round, suffered a lot against Mali in the quarter-finals, and since then they have completely transformed themselves”underlines former Malian international Cédric Kanté, consultant for Canal+ Africa.
During the competition, the Elephants changed coach, with the replacement of Jean-Louis Gasset by Emerse Faé, one of his assistants, on January 24, when they were not assured of being qualified for the eighth of final as the best third, then eliminated Senegal (1-1, 5-4 on the tabs), Mali (2-1 after extra time) and the DRC (1-0). “I have the impression that the Elephants are improving from match to match, that they have learned to manage all the pressure that surrounded them, even though they had received severe criticism”continues Yéo Martial.
Sunday evening’s final promises to be a real clash of styles. Ivory Coast has conceded more goals (7) than it has scored (6), and its game appears more unbridled and more instinctive than that of Nigeria, even if the defense of the Super Eagles, certainly airtight ( 2 goals conceded) showed some signs of fatigue, notably in the semi-finals against South Africa (1-1, 4-2 in the tabs). “Nigeria coach [José Peseiro] has barely rotated its squad, unlike Emerse Faé, who can now count on Sébastien Haller and Simon Adingra. The freshness will perhaps be on the side of the Elephants, who can also bring a touch of madness to a match »supposes Cédric Kanté.
The outcome of this open and undecided match, which the Ivorians will approach according to Yéo Martial “in a slight favorite position, thanks to the support of the public and their dynamic since the round of 16”will also offer the winner a status as leader of West African football, since Senegal, eliminated in the round of 16, lost its crown and a little of its splendor. “We can talk about rivalry between the two countries, even if it is not as strong as that between Nigeria and Cameroon or between Ivory Coast and Mali”, explains Frenchman Philippe Troussier. The current coach of Vietnam knows the two countries very well, since he coached ASEC Abidjan (1989-1992), Côte d’Ivoire (1993), then Nigeria (1993).
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A West African derby
The football of the two nations has evolved in an intertwined manner. In the 1980s and 1990s, several Nigerian internationals, such as Rashidi Yekini, Stephen Keshi and Thompson Oliha and Benedict Iroha played in the Ivorian championship. “For some of them, it was a springboard towards Europe, because at the time the Ivory Coast championship was one of the best in Africa”, continues Philippe Troussier. At the level of continental inter-club competitions – the Champions League, the African Football Confederation Cup and the Cup Winners’ Cup, which disappeared in 2003 – Nigeria and Ivory Coast have very similar records, with respectively five and four trophies.
The two countries are also two of the main suppliers of top players international, many of whom have had brilliant careers in Europe. “Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria have a good reputation in Africa in the field of training, even if the two selections have relied quite heavily on dual nationals for several years”specifies Mr. Troussier.
This final, “a derby within the Economic Community of West African States [Cédéao] », as Yéo Martial calls it (more than 70,000 Nigerians live in Ivory Coast), will be the fifth of the Elephants and the eighth of the Super Eagles. Even if he is not keen on statistics and anecdotes, the former Ivorian coach will still have to familiarize himself with this one: all the finals of Côte d’Ivoire, whether they were won (1992 , 2015) or lost (2006, 2012) ended in a penalty shootout, while Nigeria won its three titles (1980, 1994 and 2013) at the end of regulation time. “Ivory Coast has always suffered to win a CAN. So, never two without three”concludes Yéo Martial.