Ivory Coast kings of AFCON, Nigeria rue Peseiro’s decisions

Ivory Coast have gained the Africa Cup of Nations after a 2-1 victory over Nigeria on the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on Sunday.

Sébastien Haller scored the successful aim for the hosts within the 81st minute with an instinctive end after wonderful work from Simon Adingra on the wing.

ESPN analysts Ed Dove and Colin Udoh break down the match from the views of the victorious Les Éléphants and the vanquished Super Eagles.

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IVORY COAST

If ever there really was an applicable time to have a good time a real footballing fairytale, Ivory Coast’s come-from-behind victory over Nigeria in Sunday’s AFCON remaining can be it.

It was Haller, one yr on from returning to soccer after beating most cancers, who scored the 81st-minute winner in entrance of an electrical Stade Alassane Ouattara within the Abidjan suburb of Ebimpé to clinch the Elephants’ third ever continental crown, and their first since 2015.

In the final three weeks, the host nation have run the final word gamut of event feelings.

They have been demoralised on residence soil by Equatorial Guinea, dismissed their head coach, solely certified for the knockouts as one of the 4 “lucky losers” among the many third-placed groups, eradicated holders Senegal on penalties after a late equaliser, ousted Mali within the 122nd minute regardless of enjoying with 10 males for effectively over an hour, and now elevate Africa’s premier sporting title in entrance of their adoring public.

This is identical public, of course, who booed them remorselessly, even hurled projectiles on the gamers in disgust, after that 4-0 mauling by Equatorial Guinea. However, now they serenaded their heroes — as they did in opposition to Mali — with an impromptu a cappella rendition of “L’Abidjanaise,” the nation’s nationwide anthem, to present Les Éléphants a lift from the terraces after William Troost-Ekong’s first-half header had given Nigeria the lead.

With momentum on their facet, this Ivorian facet – having fun with a brand new lease of life beneath interim head coach Emerse Faé, appointed after that group-stage rout — really feel like they’re succesful of something, and when Franck Kessié equalised from a nook, the hosts grew whereas their opponents steadily ran out of concepts.

Unlike earlier within the event, Les Éléphants have been comfortably the higher workforce right here, with Jean-Michael Seri, specifically, controlling issues from the guts of the midfield because the hosts have been allowed to say themselves by their timid Nigeria counterparts.

Faé deserves credit score for the daring personnel decisions he is taken earlier within the marketing campaign — there was no place for Nicolas Pépé, Jérémie Boga or Jonathan Bamba throughout the remaining — and his resolution to take away Max Gradel and Sèrge Aurier (with 200 caps between them) with 20 minutes to play was one other putting resolution by the rookie coach.

It paid off, because the Ivorians’ affect grew — they registered 18 pictures to Nigeria’s 5, with over 62% possession — and the muscular Seko Fofana and Kessié gave the guests little scope for management or expression.

Special point out should go to Brighton & Hove Albion winger Adingra who, with solely 5 caps to his identify earlier than the event, needs to be recognised because the AFCON’s breakout star. He was underused by Jean Louis Gasset — the workforce’s unique head coach — and was solely thrown on as a late sub throughout the Equatorial Guinea defeat.

Faé has had no such qualms about throwing Adingra into the fray and it was the 22-year-old who scored the Ninetieth-minute equaliser in opposition to Mali, and it was his advantageous supply that arrange each Kessié after which Haller as final victory was secured. The wideman’s vibrant exhibiting contributed to Ola Aina’s jittery show, as Adingra served discover that he could be Africa’s subsequent massive factor. — Dove

NIGERIA

What a day for Nigeria to decide on to have a nasty day on the workplace. The Super Eagles try and win their fourth Africa Cup of Nations title got here to a grinding halt in opposition to hosts Ivory Coast on Sunday.

Live by the sword, die by the sword. Organized, however conservative defensive soccer constructed on excessive depth urgent and fast counter-attacks took the Super Eagles to the brink o that fourth crown, however in the long run, it was the Achilles heel that heralded their downfall.

This, added to educate José Peseiro’s reluctance to make use of his full squad and sticking to the identical set of gamers all event lengthy, led to some laggy legs that simply couldn’t deal with Les Éléphants’ brisker legs and extra expansive attacking strategy.

Defense has taken Peseiro’s Super Eagles, from whom not a lot was anticipated once they left for the event, to the ultimate however, in the long run, when Peseiro wanted to flip issues round and go offensive, he waited too lengthy and it proved deadly.

Nigeria’s wait to have gamers win a number of AFCON titles continues — Ahmed Musa and Kenneth Omeruo would have been the primary if the workforce had not fallen quick.

Peseiro, who was on the cusp of making historical past as the primary Portuguese to win the AFCON title, made two modifications to the beginning lineup for this remaining. Zaidu Sanusi, whose absence was felt within the semifinal in opposition to South Africa, was restored to the beginning lineup. A much less understandable resolution was Samuel Chukwueze forward of Moses Simon. The Nantes man has began all earlier video games, providing not simply offensive menace, however defensive cowl for the wing-backs. His absence left Aina uncovered to continually being run ragged by Adingra with little to no help.

Once once more, and as he has accomplished all event lengthy, Peseiro waited approach too lengthy to make his substitutions. Captain William Troost-Ekong gave the Super Eagles the lead a lot in opposition to the run of play, though Nigeria have by no means bothered with contesting possession all through the event, however within the aftermath of the aim, the hosts squeezed even tougher and nonetheless Peseiro persevered.

In the tip, this inflexibility was his workforce’s downfall. The psychological exhaustion was simply as dangerous because the bodily, with an error strewn efficiency everywhere in the pitch. Calvin Bassey gave the ball away virtually on demand. Aina appeared a shadow of his fast, assured self, and Zaid Sanusi made a number of errors that went unpunished.

When the equalizer got here, it was all the way down to avoidable errors, they’d not have made in earlier video games. Bassey misplaced his man within the nook kick, and Sanusi, who was defending the aim line, stepped off to cowl and located himself in no man’s land. It was the identical for the winner, Aina remoted in opposition to Adingra and permitting a cross he wouldn’t have allowed earlier.

Nigeria may be proud of the efficiency of the workforce and each coach and gamers will return residence to plaudits after extending their document of essentially the most podium finishes in AFCON historical past, taking their medal depend to 16, three greater than Egypt. But they continue to be behind arch-rivals Cameroon on 5 titles and Ghana on 4, and that can rankle. For Peseiro, whereas he might have met the goal set for him by the Nigerian Football Federation of reaching the semifinal, however his overly conservative strategy, which finally failed him on the line, would be the similar petard he will probably be hung by.

He won’t be fired, of course, with World Cup qualifiers occurring this yr, however his maintain on the job will probably be tenuous and one mistake in World Cup qualifying won’t bode effectively. — Udoh