Some countries plan for tournaments for years, work on projects and development and DNA, meticulously lay out their blueprint for success. And some just wing it, finding amid the chaos a sense of purpose and momentum that, being unexpected, somehow makes them all the more potent.
Ivory Coast have looked out of this Africa Cup of Nations on at least three occasions, and sacked their coach after the group phase, but it is they who will face Nigeria in the final on Sunday.
Emerse Faé, thrust into the manager’s hotseat, must think management is a surprisingly easy gig. He has only ever taken charge of three games, and he has won them all, matching Nasser Al-Johar’s achievement with Saudi Arabia at the 2000 Asian Cup, reaching the final after taking over mid-tournament. “It’s like a dream for us,” Faé said. “When we lost to Equatorial Guinea we couldn’t imagine we’d be in the final.” They are the first hosts to reach the Cup of Nations final since Egypt in 2006.
Faé had said before the game it was time to stop talking about miracles and start focusing on winning games and Ivory Coast achieved that: there was no need for an implausible late equaliser here. Rather, as the Saudi‑based pair of Franck Kessié and Seko Fofana controlled midfield, they ended up winning with a degree of comfort, Sébastien Haller getting the winner after 65 minutes, which by recent Ivorian standards felt almost like scoring in the prelude.
Haller’s absence with an ankle injury has been a major issue for Ivory Coast in this Cup of Nations and his increasing pitch-time after the group stage a clear factor in their improving form. This was his first start of the tournament and he could have had a hat-trick, missing two good chances but getting over Max Gradel’s cross at the back post to send a volley bouncing past Lionel Mpasi.
Until that point, there was never really a sense of Ivory Coast imposing themselves, despite the fervent support of a 60,000 capacity crowd. There were moments when it felt like an improbably sticky Dublin in the good days, green, orange and white tricolours fluttering, great choruses of “Olé, Olé, Olé, Olé …” And then, from nowhere, came the goal, the most extraordinary roar and plumes of green and orange smoke.
“We conceded four goals against Equatorial Guinea and this defeat affected us a lot,” Kessié said. “We had to look ourselves in the mirror. It was a real failure we were fortunate to move to the second round.
“We spoke to each other, we needed to show a different image and now our target is to win the title.”
Sébastien Desabre, the Democratic Republic of Congo head coach, had spoken of his side having “a responsibility to provide joy and hope” to their people as M23 rebels and Islamist groups continue their attacks on civilian targets in the east of the country. The players tried to raise awareness of the crisis by making the fingers of one hand into a gun and holding it to their heads, while covering their mouths with their other hand during the anthems: people are dying and nobody’s talking about it.
Desabre was clearly both proud and a little disappointed in his side. “We started very well,” he said. “After the cooling break in first half our performance diminished and in second half we were less dangerous than we should have been.”
They seemed to have taken the lead through Cédric Bakambu after eight minutes, only for the Libyan referee Mutaz Ibrahim to rule, perhaps generously, that the ball had been under the control of the goalkeeper Yahir Fofana before he poked it away from him. “Maybe it would have been different if this goal had been allowed,” Desabre said. “I did not complain. I’m not used to blaming the referee.”
Wilfried Singo, back in the side for the suspended Serge Aurier, was a persistent threat for Ivory Coast, Kessié hit the post late in the first half and Simon Adingra, another of those returning from injury, excelled in his first start of the tournament. The Ivorians are benefitting from their strength in depth and, with players returning, there is a clear sense they have grown as the knockouts have gone on.
Before the semi-final, the absurdity of their continued presence in the tournament, the sense of the Ivorians as revenants, zombie-like, impossible to kill, created a strange mood of euphoria, every second they remained in the competition a bonus. Now they’re in the final against Nigeria, who had earlier defeated South Africa on penalties to reach their eighth final. Alongside the hosts’ joy, there is real expectation. Just don’t ask how they’ve got there.
