Nigeria vs Ivory Coast as it happened! How to watch AFCON final, live minute-by-minute updates, teams
The Elephants win a third AFCON crown
Hello and welcome to the live blog for the AFCON 2023 final between Nigeria and Ivory Coast. First up, the teams...
And here they are...
If you’re looking for a live stream to catch all the AFCON 2023 final action between Nigeria and Ivory Coast, then check out our guide that tells you how to watch the match from anywhere in the world.
Injury news: Both squads are at full strength tonight. Ivory Coast captain Serge Aurier returns after missing the semi-final defeat of DR Congo through suspension.
Want to see some nerves of steel? Here’s the moment Kelechi Iheanacho scored the decisive semi-final shootout penalty against South Africa that put Nigeria into the final…
Having recovered from injury, Sebastien Haller’s first goal of the tournament was this volley that proved enough to beat DR Congo 1-0 in the semi-final. They all count!
They’ve been doing it all tournament and the party is getting started for the Nigerian squad, who are in the building and letting everyone know about it…
Ivorian singer Alpha Blondy has been getting the crowd at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan in the mood with a brilliant show ahead of this evening's final.
The home heroes Ivory Coast are also in the ground, albeit with less of the musical accompaniment their final opponents managed.
The atmosphere is building in the stands ahead of kick-off in about half hour.
This will be Nigeria’s eighth AFCON final. Only Egypt and Ghana have featured in more (both nine). Ivory Coast, meanwhile, are appearing their fifth showpiece.
Drawn together in Group A, Nigeria and Ivory Coast are facing off for the second time this tournament.
That victory for the Super Eagles ended a run of four defeats in their past six outings against the Elephants. The head-to-head record currently stands at nine Nigeria wins, 10 draws and nine Ivory Coast wins. It doesn’t get much more even.
Nigeria’s defence is what’s got them this far. Goalkeeper Stanley Nwabili, who saved two of the four spot-kicks he faced in the semi-final shootout, went eight hours without conceding before South Africa equaliser in the 90th minute. That thrilling denouement came moments after it seemed that Victor Osimhen had given the Super Eagles a 2-0 lead, his goal ruled out for VAR. Check out how the chaos happened below…
Golden boot watch: Barring a goalscoring final performance bordering on the Kylian Mbappe or Geoff Hurst (depending on your age) Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman will be the only player on show tonight with a realistic chance of catching Equatorial Guinea forward Emilio Nsue in the race for the Golden Boot. The Atalanta winger is currently on three goals, having struck twice in the last 16 against Cameroon and firing the winner in the Super Eagles’ 1-0 quarter-final defeat of Angola. Here’s his winner against Angola to whet your appetite...
Speaking of which, how do you rate your AFCON Golden Boot winners knowledge? Try our super soaraway quiz to find out. Be warned, it’s tough…
Victor Osimhen will rise to second in the ranking of all-time scorers for Nigeria if he can find his shooting boots in the AFCON final and pick up just one more goal. He needs another 16 to equal Rashidi Yekini’s record. Here’s the goal that took him to 21 Super Eagles goals, way back in the opening game of the tournament
Ivory Coast are the first host nation to reach an AFCON final since Egypt in 2006, who beat the Elephants on penalties 18 years ago after a goalless draw. Historical precedent is certainly on the Ivorians’ side – five of the past six host nations to reach the final have won the tournament.
Ivory Coast is believed to have spent as much as £1bn on new stadia, infrastructure and more to host this tournament and it all seemed wasted following a record 4-0 group stage defeat to Equatorial Guinea seemed to consign them to an early exit.
All six of Ivory Coast’s goals at AFCON 2023 have been scored by different players (Seko Fofana, Jean-Philippe Krasso, Franck Kessie, Simon Adingra, Oumar Diakite and Sebastien Haller).
The Elephants’ quarter-final comeback against Mali was one of the stories of AFCON 2023. Goals from Simon Adingra and Oumar Diakite in the last minute of regulation and extra time respectively delivered a stunning 2-1 victory.
Though Ivory Coast have twice gone to extra time this tournament – beating defending champions Senegal and Mali in that thrilling quarter-final – their players will be the fresher of this evening’s sides.
With under 10 minutes until kick-off, the locals are bringing everything they've got.
Not to be outdone, these Nigeria fans are also giving it plenty, with kick-off and the anthems fast approaching...
The countdown is happening and kick-off is about to happen.
1 min: PEEP PEEP! Nigeria get us underway. Simon Adingra, has started quickly already for Ivory Coast.
6 min: GREAT DELIVERY! Corner for Ivory Coast is cleared but the Elephants recycle the ball out to the left and Simon Adingra whips a brilliant right-footed cross that evades Sebastien Haller by this much.
9 min: Ivory Coast have made a bright start, with Adingra at the heart of much their play. He must weigh about 10st wet-through but those hips wouldn't be out of place on the Strictly dancefloor.
12 min: Ademola Lookman has his first run down the Nigeria left, but Serge Aurier does well to snuff out the danger.
13 min: Another good ball into the box for Ivory Coast, with Max Gradel whipping his foot around it. The rather hits Nigeria wing-back Ola Aina at the back post for corner, which comes to nothing. Ivory Coast defintely on top.
15 min: This is already setting up as a fascinating tactical battle. Nigeria are in their usual 5-4-1 shape with a low block, inviting the Ivorians' more progressive 4-3-3 onto them.
18 min: Lookman again tries to spring down the left wing and crosses well, but Evan Ndicka rises highest for Ivory Coast to clear.
20 min: CHANCE A poor header from left-wing-back Semi Ajayi gifts Ivory Coast a corner. After a bit of pinball in the box, Max Gradel attempts an overhead kick. Side netting.
22 min: Nigeria still sitting very deep. Victor Osimhen has barely been in the same post code as the ball in the opening 20 minutes.
24 min: Lookman wins a Nigeria free-kick. More pinball in the Ivory Coast box this time but a foul on Adingra at the box means the opportunity comes to nought.
25 min: NEEDLE! Osimhen is fouled by Ndicka, he thinks with an elbow. The Nigerian loses his cool and starts waving his finger and taking on all comers. The replays indicate there was very little in it, bar a free-kick. Aina to take.
28 min: YELLOW CARD! And it's to Nigeria boss Jose Pereiro, who is fuming that a foul is given against Osimhen for what appeared a brilliant header.
30 min: DRINKS BREAK. Half an hour gone and it's time for the cooling break for the players to take on some fluids. It probably comes at a good time, with a few tempers starting to flare.
33 min: CHANCE! Best opening so far. Calvin Bassey gives the ball away for Nigeria, Aina is out of position and Adingra springs the trap in behind. His left-footed shot hits Nigeria keeper Stanley Nwabili square in the chest and cannons to safety.
36 min: Ivory Coast have enjoyed 64% of the possession thus far. They're dominant but still have only created one and a bit chances.
34 min: Good defending in the end from Ivory Coast. Haller loses it to Iwobi, who springs Lookman down the inside left channel. And from the resulting corner....
36 min: GOAL NIGERIA! Ivory Coast win the first ball from the delivery, but it goes straight up in the air. More or less on the penalty spot, Nigeria skipper William Troost-Ekong attacks the ball and plants a head into the far corner over Yahia Fofana to give the Super Eagles the lead against the run of play.
41 min: That goal has summed up Nigeria at this tournament. Resolute, tough to break down and then take their chance when offered up. It was a brilliant header from Troost-Ekong, his third goal of the tournament.
43 min: Ivory Coast back on the ball, Nigeria back to defending their 18-yard box.
45 min: Osimhen is down with what appears to be a hamstring complaint. He'd just landed awkwardly after chasing a lost cause, kick high in the air. After some magic spray – anyone know the key ingredient in that which revives any complaint known to man? – he's back up. One to keep an eye on.
46 min: There will be four minutes of first-half injury time.
45+3 min: Nigeria work the ball down the left wing. Zaidu hurls a throw-in into the box but it comes to nothing.
45+4 min: Zaidu is now the Nigeria man down. Nasty one, this. The wing-back was flying forward and Ivory Coast midfielder Franck Kessie appeared to through out a cheeky elbow to bring his opponent down. Naughty.
HALF TIME Ivory Coast may have had more of the ball and territory, but it's Nigeria who go into the break on top, through William Troost-Ekong's brilliant header.
I've just seen some replays of that Kessie challenge late in the half. It's not pretty and the Ivory Coast midfielder is a lucky boy that VAR didn't take a closer look.
The main positive for Ivory Coast is that they've been here before in the tournament. Against Mali in the quarter-final they were staring down the barrel of defeat but scored in the last minute to force extra time.
HALF-TIME QUIZ If you're looking for something to occupy the next couple of minutes with before the second, may I proffer this excellent quiz on the history of AFCON finals...
46 min: And we're back underway! No changes at the break from either side. Can Ivory Coast turn their possession into some more concrete chances?
48 min: CHANCE! Gradel wins a free-kick down the Ivory Coast right. Zaidu just went through the back of him. The ex-Leeds winger dusts himiself down and delivers, Osimhen clears, there's a mini-scramble but Nigeria ghost it away.
52 min: Gradel again gets the ball down the Ivory Coast right, Zaidu appears to bring him down but the referee waves play on. Gradel stays down and receives treatment. There was contact but Gradel seemed to kick Zaidu, not the other way around.
53 min: YELLOW CARDS! Nwabili for Nigeria and Aurier for Ivory Coast go into the referee's notebook. Both players offered a fair and frank exchange of views and the official wasn't having any of it.
55 min: Chukwueze breaks forward down the right and feeds Osimhen, but the Nigeria forward is crowded out. The second half has been scrappy.
56 min: NIGERIA SUBSTITUTION Chukwueze off, Moses Simon on for Nigeria.
58 min: Gradel again lively down the right, tries to find Fofana for Ivory Coast, who recycle the ball back to Jean-Michel Serri but the Hull midfielder's strike from distance is wide. He hit it well but the direction wasn't there.
59 min: This time it's the other winger Adingra who breaks down the left, cuts inside and dinks for Kessie, but the former Barcelona midfielder can't get enough power in the header and Nwabili saves easily.
60 min: 12 shots for Ivory Coast, just two for Nigeria, but it's the Super Eagles who still lead here after an hour.
62 min: GOAL IVORY COAST! They've got their goal. The brilliant inswinging corner is delivered to the back post, where Franck Kessie – who improbably has the freedom of the box – powers a header through Nwabili to equalise. The goalkeeper should save it but that's a fair reflection of the hosts play thus far. Game on!
67 min: There's pyro going off everywhere in the ground, the Ivorian band redoubling their efforts after that goal. It was a brilliant delivery from Adingra from the corner. The Brighton man has been superb today and all tournament in truth.
And here's the equaliser...
68 min: Nigeria win a free-kick and Lookman swings in a fine ball, Troost-Ekong again rises highest but can't direct his header on target. Nigeria starting to play a bit again.
69 min: IVORY COAST SUBSTITUTION Aurier and Gradel off, Singo and Diakhite on.
72 min: Frank Onyeka finds Lookman down the right but the move breaks down. Nigeria are starting to look tired and very leggy here.
74 min: Ivory Coast work it well down the right, Adingra heads back into the danger area and Haller's attempted overhead kick is wide.
78 min: Two players are down, Fofana of Ivory Coast jumping for a header and landing with his full body weight on both his own back and Victor Osimhen's right leg. Nasty and the magic spray is out again.
78 min: NIGERIA SUBSTITUTION Iwobi and Lookman off, Kelechi Iheanacho on.
80 min: IVORY COAST GOAL! Adingra again the architect. He beats Aina and puts the ball in the box brilliant and Sebastien Haller's deft flicked finish is enough to turn this final on its head! Nigeria look devastated but this stadium is now rocking. Nigeria look knackered.
82 min: I'm absolutely made up for Haller, and you'd have to have a heart of stone not to. The forward has missed so much football the past year, and nearly died after being diagnosed with cancer and here he is scoring the goal that might have given his country a third AFCON crown.
84 min: Finally Nigeria are starting to attack but is it too little, too late. Lookman tries to wriggle through down the left to win a corner, which Iheanacho blooters straight of play. That ain't gonna do it, Kelechi.
87 min: IVORY COAST SUBSTITUTIONS Magic man Haller and Fofana off, Jean-Philippe Krasso and Ibrahim Sangare on. Time's running out for Nigeria, who look spent.
88 min: Iheanacho finds some space in the block and hits a quick-fire shot but Ndicka does really well to block.
89 min: Another poor delivery from Nigeria, who are struggling to put much together. The look spent and destined for a fifth final defeat in their history. The hosts have been the better side.
90 min: Four minutes of stoppage time. Four minutes from Ivory Coast achieving their destiny. They lost 4-0 against Equatorial Guinea in the group stage, they were as good as out!!
90+5 min: It's all got a bit desperate for Nigeria. Moffi concedes the foul and that may well be that.
FULL TIME! IVORY COAST ARE AFRICAN CHAMPIONS!! They've been as good as out on two or three occasions this tournament, but they've won it. They deserved this tonight, they were much the better team.
Absolutely incredible from the hosts and huge congratulations go to Emerse Fae and his squad. Remember, he's only the interim after Jean-Louis Gasset's sacking following that 4-0 defeat to Equatorial Guinea that seemed to put paid to their home tournament in the group.
Here's the moment that Ivory Coast became the first host country since Egypt in 2006 to win AFCON at home.
Simon Adingra has, unsurprisingly, been named as man of the match. The Brighton winger was absolutely superb and gave Ola Aina a torrid time down the Ivorian left.
This will take some getting over for Nigeria, but it was Jose Peseiro's negative tactics as much as anything that sowed the seeds for their own downfall.
The trophy lift is coming shortly. Ivory Coast's players are doing a lap of honour now, and quite rightly so. They've deserved this. Drink it in, lads.
That's it from us tonight. Ivory Coast are champions of Africa, and deservedly so. They were the better side from the first whistle to the last and played all the football.
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