Ivory Coast coach Emerse Fae celebrated his squad of “miracle survivors” as the host nation completed a remarkable turnaround in major tournament history, clinching the Africa Cup of Nations title with a thrilling 2-1 victory over Nigeria in the Sunday final at the Ebimpe Olympic Stadium.
Fae expressed his disbelief at the fairytale-like journey, saying, “It is more than a fairytale. I am struggling to take it all in.” The coach praised his team’s resilience and determination, hailing them as “miracle survivors” who never gave up, bouncing back from numerous setbacks.
The Elephants secured their third continental title, making history as the first host country to win the Cup of Nations since Egypt in 2006. The victory, witnessed by an official attendance of over 57,000 in Abidjan, capped off a tournament that nearly saw Ivory Coast exit in the group stage.
The Ivorian team faced adversity, losing 1-0 to Nigeria and suffering a 4-0 defeat to Equatorial Guinea, their heaviest home defeat, resulting in the dismissal of coach Jean-Louis Gasset. However, they narrowly progressed to the last 16 as the last of the four best third-placed teams, with Fae taking over on an interim basis.
Their journey included dramatic victories, such as the penalty shootout win against holders Senegal in the last 16 and a comeback from being reduced to 10 men against Mali in the quarterfinals, winning 2-1 in extra time. Ivory Coast also secured a 1-0 victory against the Democratic Republic of Congo in the semifinals before their stunning comeback win in the final against Nigeria.
Reflecting on the challenging path to victory, Fae, who turned 40 on the day he became coach, remarked, “All our games were difficult. We kept having to come from behind, and we really had to draw on all our physical and mental reserves.”
Sebastien Haller, the hero of the tournament, scored the decisive goals in the semifinal and final. He shared his emotional journey, expressing gratitude to his teammates for pushing him to stay on the pitch and contributing to the historic victory.
Haller’s own tournament story was remarkable, coming back from an ankle injury suffered in December and scoring critical goals despite not featuring in the group stage. “It was one of my main goals to give everything I could at the Afcon,” he said, acknowledging the challenge of playing with an ongoing ankle issue. “My ankle still isn’t fully healed, but it was OK for today,” he added, capturing the spirit of triumph against the odds.