At the end of a final match full of twists and turns, the 2023 African Cup of Nations, in 2024, saw Ivory Coast crowned at home.
The Elephants are the symbol of an edition where everything was possible. Between the surprises of the group stage and the twists and turns of the knockout matches, football lovers were thrilled by the 52 matches of the CAN final phase.
Relive the highlights of the competition with the main lessons to be learned from an African Cup of Nations like no other.
With Ivory Coast, an Elephant never dies
Who paid a lot for the skin of Ivorian Elephants on the evening of January 22? After a rout against Equatorial Guinea (0-4), the CAN seemed to end in the group stage for the host country.
Forced to hope for a favorable scenario in the other groups to qualify for the round of 16 among the six best third-placed groups and to evolve with a new coach, Jean-Louis Gasset having resigned, Côte d’Ivoire came back from nothing sets out to win the third continental title in its history.
The Ivorians reached the round of 16 through the back door and finished the competition at the top. They beat Senegal (1-1, 5 tab to 4), Mali (2-1 ap), the Democratic Republic of Congo (1-0) and Nigeria (2-1) on the winding road that took them led to the trophy.
Proof that their journey is as much a fairy tale as science fiction, Franck Kessié ‘s teammates won three of their knockout matches after being behind. Did you say miracle?
Simon Adingra, Sébastien Haller, Emerse Faé: three golden destinies
Three men played a key role in the Ivorian coronation and their atypical destinies make the story even more beautiful.
Emerse Faé started the competition as assistant coach and finished it as coach. He had no difficulty managing this unexpected promotion, enjoying four successes in as many matches for his first experience as number 1 coach at the highest level. This trophy rewards a former player who had to retire at just 28 years old due to repeated phlebitis.
It was not an injury, but an illness which almost ended the career of Sébastian Haller, the decisive scorer in the final. The Borussia Dortmund striker experienced a terrible moment when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer during his medical examination upon signing with the German club in 2022. For the next six months, he had to undergo treatment including two operations and four chemotherapy sessions. The 29-year-old has returned to his best since then, even becoming the hero of the final by scoring the winning goal with an acrobatic second-half volley from Simon Adingra’s cross.
The latter was voted best young player of CAN 2023, in 2024. Double decisive passer in the final, the Brighton player also scored a goal. And what a goal! In the quarter-finals, he equalized against Mali in the 90th minute to save Ivory Coast. The 22-year-old player who played for Union Saint-Gilloise also had a misfortune in his career. At the age of 12, he was the victim of a scam and found himself alone in Benin where an educator had promised him integration into an academy.
The Ivory Coast’s coronation is not only revenge after a disastrous group stage, it is a wonderful life lesson which proves that anything is possible.
Even favorite, Morocco came up against its continental glass ceiling
After its semi-final at the 2022 World Cup, Morocco was the overwhelming favorite for CAN 2023, in 2024. Unfortunately for the Atlas Lions, the adventure ended when the knockout matches began.
The partners of a still brilliant Achraf Hakimi were eliminated in the round of 16 by South Africa (0-2). Without Sofiane Boufal and Hakim Ziyech, injured, they lacked the creativity to defeat the defensive block of the only team that had beaten them since the World Cup, during the qualifiers last June (2-1).
Since a final lost against Tunisia in 2004, Morocco has won only one knockout match in the final phase of the continental meeting. Twenty years without playing at least one CAN semi-final seems like an eternity for such an important nation in African football.
Walid Regragui’s men will try to put an end to this curse next year, during an edition they will play at home. During the only African Cup of Nations previously organized in the Shereef kingdom, in 1988, Morocco finished fourth.
Little ones who are coming up, big names who are surprised
While Equatorial Guinea, Cabo Verde, and Angola finished at the top of their respective groups, Ghana, Tunisia, and Algeria were eliminated in the group stage.
The observation is particularly painful for the Fennecs who have not managed to get out of the groups since their title in 2019. Djamel Belmadi could however count on a Baghdad Bounedjah in legs, three goals in three matches. But it was not enough to beat Angola (1-1), Burkina Faso (2-2), or even resist Mauritania which offered its first victory in the final phase of CAN (1-0). ).
The scenario was similar for Ghana which has talented individuals like Mohamed Kudus but failed collectively in a tough group.
On the Tunisian side, it was the physical intensity that was the problem.
An observation is essential with this crazy edition of the CAN, everything is possible in African football, from the big names in disarray to the most beautiful fairy tales.
The ranking of scorers also proves it. Despite stars like Mohamed Salah, Victor Osimhen, and Sadio Mané, it was Emilio Nsue who was the golden shoe of the competition. The player from Intercity FC, in the Spanish third division, has scored five goals in four matches for Equatorial Guinea.
