African football supremacy on the line

Opinion

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This article was published 09/02/2024 (577 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

After all that, a dream final.

Not that Sunday’s conclusion to the Africa Cup of Nations (2 p.m., FuboTV) was in any way expected. No, neither Nigeria nor Ivory Coast, while traditional contenders, was much fancied to reach this point of the competition, initially planned for last June and July before being switched to this January and February.

Holders Senegal, featuring the likes of Sadio Mane, Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly, looked a likely prospect to become the first repeat champions since Egypt won back-to-back-to-back titles between 2006 and 2010. The Pharaohs, led by Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, seemed poised to do their part in creating a rerun of the 2021 final.

Both were bounced from the round of 16. So, too, were Cameroon and Burkina Faso, which meant that the four previous semifinalists had been prematurely wiped off the board. Even Morocco – just 13 months removed from a fourth-place finish at the World Cup – lost early, and each of Algeria, Tunisia and Ghana failed to make it out of their groups.

All the while Nigeria, quite uncharacteristically, quietly went about its business, scoring only once from open play in the group stage before eliminating Cameroon, Angola and South Africa in the knockouts.

Typically, the Super Eagles like everyone to know that Africa’s most populous country has arrived at the party, that the festivities are better for their presence and that they’ll be the last to leave. Which they rarely are.

It’s a bluster built on former and flamboyant internationals, such as Rashidi Yekini, Nwankwo Kanu and Jay-Jay Okocha. Only, the end result is rarely reflective of the noise. Most recently champions in 2013, Nigeria’s three continental titles trail Egypt and, frustratingly, West African rivals Cameroon and Ghana on the all-time list.

That they arrived at this tournament with so little fanfare was extremely unusual; that they weren’t among the top group of favourites was rather less so. To their credit, they used the absence of attention to create an identity that has them on the cusp of triumph.

Where previous Nigeria squads might have sought first to score and second to defend (they were top scorers when they won in 2013, second in 1994 and top in 1980), this one has its foundation in the all-but-impenetrable back-line of Semi Ajayi, Calvin Bassey and William Troost-Ekong.

Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, the reigning African Footballer of the Year who led Serie A with 26 goals last season, has tallied just once at this Cup of Nations and has mostly run decoy for wingers Ademola Lookman and Moses Simon.

These Eagles are Super Eagle-eyed, circling high above the fray before sensing their moment and swooping quickly at their target. Thing is, in Sunday’s foe they face not a Sable Antelope nor even an Indomitable Lion, but a phoenix.

Late last month, Ivory Coast spent two days assuming their tournament was over. Having been embarrassed 4-0 by Equatorial Guinea, they sacked their manager and anticipated even further humiliation. After all, as Cup of Nations hosts, their performance was supposed to have at least somewhat justified the significant investments in stadiums, transit and social infrastructure.

Then Morocco beat Zambia and they snuck into the round of 16 as the dead-last qualifier – and the resurrection began.

Incoming head coach Emerse Fae tinkered with the line-up, inserting Jean Michael Seri among a previously-disjointed midfield and recalling 36-year-old winger Max Gradel. His most important contributions were providing a fresh, positive voice and a personal link to the idolized national teams of Didier Drogba, Emmanuel Eboue and Yaya Toure.

Last week Monday — it already seems so long ago, what with the dramatics of this event – Ivory Coast edged Senegal on penalties, and five days later they came from behind to beat Mali with an Oumar Diakite winner in added time of extra time. In Wednesday’s semifinal against DR Congo, they never looked like losing.

From their opening day victory over Guinea-Bissau to Sunday’s final, there has never been a tournament route quite like the one Ivory Coast has taken. A win in Abidjan would be a fittingly poetic conclusion to their journey, but then storylines, nevermind predictions, have meant nothing these past few weeks.

One way or another, the ultimate outcome of this Africa Cup of Nations will make sense, yet also stupify. And that’s precisely why it’s been so compelling.

Now, for one last time, it will deliver a match in which no one has the slightest idea what to expect.

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