Ivory Coast lift AFCON 2023 in dramatic fashion

Never has the continent of Africa and the world experienced a dramatic African tournament like the recently ended Total Energies Africa Cup of Nations.  The recently ended AFCON tournament in Ivory Coast has been as dramatic as the fact that the Africa Cup of Nations 2023 is happening in 2024. Postponed to January 2024 due to high temperatures on the planned 2023 dates the Continent's biggest show has been nothing short of dramatic events. Big teams got eliminated in rather Hollywood fashion and some of the favorites in the first round. Yesteryear football household countries like Ghana, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco did not even make it to the quarter finals. New names emerged as the tournament progressed. Cape Verde an Island nation of roughly 500 000 people much less than a population of most African cities were the biggest surprise of the tournament. Bowing out of the Quarter Finals on penalty shootouts the island nation surely slayed a lot of giants. South Africa were lucky to have survived the Cape Verde machinery. South Africa went on to take the bronze medal after finishing third from a penalty shootout against the Democratic Republic of Congo. Nigeria which had booted South Africa from a penalty shootout themselves lost to Ivory Coast after taking the lead before half time, the Ivorians came back from behind in the second half to clinch 2 goals to 1 victory. The AFCON journey and story of the Ivorians has been of mixed fortunes almost getting eliminated in group stages including suffering a shocking 4 nil defeat. Their survival in the early stages meant that they had to go back to the drawing board and come back stronger. From the round of 16 the host nation faced tough and stiff opposition and eventually winning the cup was a testimony of their character and will. Overall, the nation has been a wonderful host nation with rented crowd fans giving the needed atmosphere.