The AFCON continues to dazzle soccer fans. The semi-finals delivered their verdict on Wednesday February 7, with Nigeria and Côte d'Ivoire qualifying for the final. Many lessons were learned in the semi-finals of this competition.
No cards handed out between Côte d'Ivoire and DR Congo
Only three goals were scored in these AFCON 2023 semi-finals, including two between Nigeria and South Africa. Two goals from penalties. One red card and two yellow cards were issued, all in the first semi-final between Bafana Bafana and the Super Eagles. No cards were shown in the second semi-final between DR Congo and Côte d'Ivoire, despite a spirited encounter marked by 16 fouls.
The match between the DRC and Côte d'Ivoire came down to regulation time, while Super Eagles and Bafana Bafana had to go through a penalty shoot-out.
Emerse Faé, 3rd Ivorian coach in the final
Côte d'Ivoire's first AFCON was won by a local coach. Yéo Martial took the Elephants to the roof of Africa in Dakar in 1992. François Zahoui also achieved the feat of taking the Ivorian team to the final in 2012. In 2023, another son of the country has repeated the feat. Emerse Faé is the third Ivorian coach to lead the team to the final. Promoted to coach after the resignation of Jean-Louis Gasset, the 40-year-old has instilled a new mentality in the Ivorian team, which has undergone a complete metamorphosis. Faé will be aiming to make even more history by becoming the second Ivorian coach to be crowned African champion.
8th final for Nigeria
Nigeria are undoubtedly one of the most competitive teams at the AFCON. The Super Eagles have reached the final for the 8th time in their history. Only Egypt (10) and Ghana (9) have done better. The three-time African champions are in search of a third star. They have already lost 4 finals.
Côte d'Ivoire, the first best 3rd-placed team to reach the final.
Since the introduction of the round of 16, notably with the 24-team AFCON, Côte d'Ivoire has become the first best third-placed team to reach the final. In their group matches, the Elephants recorded two defeats and just one win. The result was a narrow qualification for the Round of 16. Since then, Côte d'Ivoire have made no mistake and are aiming to claim a third star in the AFCON 2023.
