Gervinho flicked the ball past defender Ousmane Berthe with a deft back-heel and sprinted 30 metres into the penalty area to score just before half-time.
It was a magical goal that brought to life a toughly-contested game in which both tired-looking teams battled to find any rhythm.
"It was my pace that allowed me to get away. It was thrilling to score such an important goal," Arsenal's Gervinho told reporters.
The Ivorians will meet Zambia in Sunday's final in Libreville.
"We were in a tough game and a little nervous at first but the experience of my players shone through and they managed all the key situations," said Ivory Coast coach Francois Zahoui.
"We played a little bit of a static game and we must say hats off to Mali. But we are delighted to be back in the final," added Drogba who missed a penalty in the shootout when the Ivorians lost the 2006 final to hosts Egypt in Cairo.
Sunday's match will be third final for the Ivory Coast, who won the tournament in 1992.
