Ivory Coast makes it to AFCON finals, with a national as coach

Ivory Coast’s interim coach Emerse Fae

Ivory Coast’s head coach, Emerse Fae, has expressed sheer disbelief as he described his team’s journey to the AFCON finals as “like a dream.” This follows their 1-0 triumph over the Democratic Republic of Congo in Wednesday’s semi-final clash at the Ebimpe Olympic Stadium. Sebastien Haller’s decisive goal in the 65th minute secured the Elephants a spot in Sunday’s final against Nigeria.

Fae reflected on the team’s remarkable turnaround, stating, “We are happy; we’re really moved. It’s like a dream when you go back two weeks to the defeat here against Equatorial Guinea. It was hard then to imagine that we might qualify for the final of our own AFCON.”

The defeat against Equatorial Guinea, a 4-0 loss on January 22, initially placed Ivory Coast on the brink of elimination. However, they secured a spot as the last of the four best third-placed teams, thanks to Morocco’s victory against Zambia. In the wake of the Equatorial Guinea debacle, Coach Jean-Louis Gasset was dismissed, paving the way for Fae, the former assistant, to assume the role of interim coach.

Coach Jean-Louis Gasset was sent parking following his dismal performance with Ivory Coast

Fae’s leadership saw Ivory Coast defeat title-holder Senegal on penalties in the last 16. They also staged a comeback against Mali in extra time during the quarter-finals, despite playing with 10 men for most of the match.

Indeed, Fae’s leadership has saved Ivory Coast from losing back-to-back group games, as was the case under Gasset’s management.

AFCON finals: Nigeria faces Ivory Coast

Nigerians and Ivorians are looking ahead to Sunday’s AFCON finals. It will be a rematch of their group stage encounter on January 18, which saw the Super Eagles emerge victorious with a 1-0 scoreline.

Some Ivorians have qualified for their semifinal win with a miracle from God. “Inshallah, God will do it, no doubt,” Simion Diakité told The Associated Press, referring to the final game on Sunday.

“The way the Elephants, the national team, have been advancing is only a miracle, and only God can do that,” Ange Assamoi, another Ivorian, said.

But could they be underestimating Fae? Some sports pundits believe that Fae’s management skills have brought the team so far and that they will eventually win the trophy against Nigeria.

What are your thoughts?

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Kim Feh