Ivory Coast stands a mere 90 minutes away from etching their names in history after clawing back from the brink of elimination to reach the Africa Cup of Nations final.
Wednesday’s narrow 1-0 victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo sealed their fate, setting up a tantalizing clash with Nigeria on Sunday.
This journey to the precipice of glory has been anything but smooth. The Ivorians, burdened by the expectation of hosting the tournament, began with a whimper, succumbing to a 1-0 defeat to Nigeria in the group stage.
Their nadir arrived a few days later, a humiliating 4-0 drubbing by Equatorial Guinea – their worst home defeat in AFCON history.
With two losses and just a point, they stared down the ignominy of being only the second host nation to crash out in the group stage.
Coach Jean-Louis Gasset was shown the door, and hope hung precariously by a thread, contingent on results elsewhere.
Miraculously, a late equalizer for Ghana against Mozambique swung the pendulum in their favour, allowing them to squeeze through as the last of the four best third-placed teams.
This unexpected reprieve brought Emerse Fae, a former midfielder with no prior management experience, into the hot seat.
Fae, who had just celebrated his 40th birthday, orchestrated a stunning revival.
The Elephants started with a penalty shootout victory over defending champions Senegal, followed by a dramatic last-minute equalizer and subsequent extra-time winner against Mali, all while playing with 10 men for much of the game.
Wednesday’s victory over DR Congo, secured by Sebastien Haller’s solitary goal, was almost routine in comparison.
“We are not invincible, but it’s our mentality,” affirmed winger Simon Adingra. “We were out, then brought back in. Now, we can’t afford mistakes. We’re already dead, so we can’t die twice.”
This remarkable turnaround has transformed the narrative. From potential first-round disasters, Ivory Coast is now on the cusp of becoming the first host nation to lift the trophy since Egypt in 2006.
It adds an extra layer of intrigue to the final, which also presents a chance for revenge against Nigeria, their group-stage conquerors.
Fae, a symbol of this incredible journey, carries the hopes of a nation. “It’s a beautiful final,” he admitted.
“As a player, I won the U-17 World Cup after losing to Nigeria in the first game. Maybe that’s a sign.”
