Nigeria and Ivory Coast are set to face off in the finals of the Africa Cup of Nations at the Alassane Ouattara Olympic Stadium in Ebimpe on Sunday evening, bringing an end to what has been a mouth-watering tournament in the West African nation.The two teams will be meeting in a repeat of the group stage matchup that the Super Eagles won 1-0. Nigeria is eyeing their fourth continental title, while the host nation is seeking a third in their history.##NAJAVA_MECA_7863387##Whereas Nigeria’s path to the final was smoother, Ivory Coast was on the brink of elimination in the group stage before they progressed as one of the best third-placed teams.They stunned holders Senegal in the round of 16, beat Mali in the quarters despite playing the better part of it a man down, and saw off DR Congo in the semis to set up a final against the Super Eagles.Nigeria, on the other hand, beat Cameroon in the round of 16, saw off Angola in the quarters to set up a semis date with South Africa, which they won via post-match penalties after a one-all draw in regulation and extra time.As we get closer to the big day, we get closer in doing it again for our nation! Together We Can Do It Again! 💪🦅🇳🇬w/ @Bet9jaOfficial #letsdoitagain pic.twitter.com/WdgQ3eQUZI— 🇳🇬 Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) February 9, 2024 The Elephants, who will be led by Emerse Faé, have made what is considered the greatest comeback in the history of the AFCON and are now just one match away from replicating their 1992 and 2015 successes. Faé was handed the mantle midway through the knockout phase after Jean-Louis Gasset was shown the door for losing 4-0 to Equatorial Guinea in their final group A match.Empty Seats, Frustrated Fans: The troublesome tale of AFCON 2023 ticketingSpeaking ahead of the final, coach Faé said their wish was to keep the trophy at home and add a third star to the orange jersey of Cote d’Ivoire.“We have a great opportunity to keep the trophy at home. We know that when you organize a tournament, it is difficult to go on and win it. We have made the final and tomorrow, we have the opportunity to achieve this feat and at the same time, add a third star to the orange jersey of Côte d’Ivoire,” the coach told CAF Media.Nigeria coach José Peseiro will be hoping to bag his first AFCON title on his first attempt. He hopes to make the millions of Nigerians happy on Sunday evening.“Playing a final is always important. This is my first AFCON. Some were saying it’s been special, and I can attest to that. The emotions in Africa are very special. All of this, in my opinion, is a great way to learn and I would love to win it with the Nigerian team tomorrow,” said the coach.Emerse Fae denies “Special One” tag ahead of AFCON final clashThe former Al Ahly coach says the tournament has been a learning path for him.“I learned tremendously here. There is joy when you win but difficulty when you lose, so it is very important to find a balance. We have a great squad of players that really want to win this for Nigeria. Some are newcomers to the squad but have played in other competitions. Football brings a lot of emotion, more than any sport, and this is important for Nigeria,” he added.FinalSunday23:00: (2.70) Nigeria (3.10) Ivory Coast (3.00)***odds are subject to change***
