AFCON
CAF AFCON – Five key players to watch for Elephants ahead of final –
In few hours, hosts Cotê d’Ivoire will face off against one of African’s giants, Nigeria in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations Côte d’Ivoire 2023.
The clash will draw the curtains down on the AFCON Côte d’lvoire 2023 in what is expected to be an epic showdown.
Both Nigeria and Cotê d’Ivoire will be hoping to add to their trophy cabinet.
For Cotê d’Ivoire, this will be their third title should they record a victory against Nigeria.
CAFOnline looks at some of the key stars that will be instrumental for Cotê d’Ivoire ahead of the final.
Sebastian Haller
He started playing from the knockout stage for Cotê d’Ivoire. Haller has been key for the hosts anytime he has been introduced.
He showed up perfectly in their semi-final game against D.R Congo by scoring the game’s only goal which qualified his team to the final.
Seko Fofana
The Al-Nassr FC star plays with so much passion for Cotê d’Ivoire, he has been the driving force in the middle throughout this tournament.
With his name written in the history books already as the first player to score in the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON Côte d’lvoire 2023, Seko Fofana will be looking forward to making more history and hopefully clinch the trophy for Cotê d’Ivoire.
The hosts secret to having a great game on Sunday includes Fofana having a great time on the pitch.
Serge Aurier
The 31-year old defender comes with lot of experience and has shown it on the pitch anytime he is selected.
Both on and off the pitch, Aurier has added a lot to Emerse Faé’s side throughout this competition.
He played in Cotê d’Ivoire’s last TotalEnergies CAF AFCON final and knows what it takes to play in stages like this and even conquer it.
Simon Adingra
Adingra has been Cotê d’Ivoire’s main man from the bench causing problems for opponents in the tournament.
He came off the bench in their quarter-finals game to score against Mali and help them win the game.
The Brighton Hove Albion player gives Emerse Faé options on the bench and he will rely heavily on him in the finals.
Franck Kessié
Kessié has shown his quality for Cotê d’Ivoire throughout the tournament with great displays.
His late equalizer in the round of 16 and final penalty propelled the host to the quarter-finals after they struggled in the group stage.
With Nigeria’s all round quality in the midfield, Kessié will be key for Cotê d’Ivoire in quest for a third title.
-CAF
The hopes of Libya securing a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations ticket seem to have gone up in smoke. This is the sequel to the 2-1 defeat that Rwanda inflicted on the Benin Republic on Tuesday evening.
With the result, Libya’s position is further cemented at the bottom of the table. Nigeria, even with an outstanding match, still leads with seven points.
They are followed by Benin Republic who have six points. Rwanda followed with five points.
The star men were Innocent Nshuti and Djihad Bizimana who scored in the space of two minutes as Rwanda came from behind to defeat Benin 2-1 at Amahoro Stadium on Tuesday, October 15.
Rwanda’s defeat of Benin Republic is not just their first win in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying series, the victory terminates a 12-year winless streak against the Cheetah of Benin.
It is also a renewal of their hopes of qualifying for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. But they still have two more games to play.
The German made two changes from the side that started against Benin last week as Samuel Gueulette and Emmanuel Imanishimwe came in for Kevin Muhire and Claude Niyomugabo respectively.
The press release on Tuesday by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) may have lifted a burden off Nigeria as the match with Libya is considered postponed rather than the Super Eagles refusing to play.
The continental body remarked that the matter would be referred to the competent CAF bodies.
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