That's it, folks! The Africa Cup of Nations, the first with Dr. Patrice Motsepe as president of the Confederation of African Football, wrapped up in dramatic fashion last weekend as host nation Ivory Coast proved too strong for Nigeria in a comeback win in the final in Abidjan. From a living nightmare to the unthinkable, the Elephants lifted the prestigious continental prize on home soil to deafening cheers at the Olympic Stadium of Ebimpe after being on the brink of a humiliating group-stage elimination, which resulted in the firing of French tactician Jean-Louis Gasset before their progression to the Round of 16! Join Soccer Laduma's international team in analysing the final's key moments, the players who earned individual recognition, and the prize money for the federations represented from the quarter-final round onwards!
The Elephants show thick skin in triumph over Nigeria
Despite heading into the final in Abidjan with 2023 CAF Men's African Footballer of the Year Victor Osimhen in their ranks, as well as with players with vast experience in England and Europe, facing the host nation in front of their own supporters was always going to be a challenging prospect for three-time champions Nigeria. Jose Peseiro's team booked their place in the final following a penalty shootout victory over South Africa – who eventually went on to beat DR Congo on penalties in the third-place play-off – and would have expected an incredibly difficult clash, but perhaps even the Portuguese tactician was left surprised by how poorly his team performed against the Ivorians. Seemingly nervous and overwhelmed by the occasion, the Super Eagles battled to string passes together as the Elephants came from behind, through goals from ex-AC Milan and Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie and Borussia Dortmund's Sebastien Haller, who recovered from testicular cancer in February 2023, to clinch a third Afcon title and their first since 2015. Brighton Hove Albion winger Simon Adingra, 22, put in an inspired performance as he assisted both strikes with two accurate crosses into the box after Nigeria centre-back William Troost-Ekong had put his country ahead late in the first half. A story for the ages, Ivory Coast's journey to success was unorthodox as they ended the competition without the manager they started it with. Jean-Louis Gasset was relieved of his duties on 24 January after the Elephants' group campaign concluded with an embarrassing 4-0 defeat to Equatorial Guinea, with his assistant Emerse Fae appointed as his interim replacement when it was confirmed they would, in fact, be participating in the Last 16. Fae oversaw an inspirational turnaround that helped the eagerness of his players to rectify the situation they put themselves in and proved a fitting way to finish one of the most enthralling international tournaments in recent memory.
Award winners prize money
The awards ceremony at the Olympic Stadium of Ebimpe was held after the Elephants claimed the title, with Bafana Bafana, who won the third-place encounter in Abidjan on Saturday, represented in two different categories. Shot-stopper Ronwen Williams was handed the Best Goalkeeper accolade following his impressive performances for South Africa, which included a history-making display against Cape Verde in the quarter-final round that saw the Mamelodi Sundowns man become the first keeper to save four spot-kicks in a penalty shootout at an international tournament. The Gqeberha-born star also kept five clean sheets, one more than Andre Arendse did when SA lifted the trophy in 1996. Equatorial Guinea's Emilio Nsue, with five goals, won the Golden Boot award, while the previously mentioned Adingra claimed the Best Young Player prize and his coach Fae the Best Coach accolade! Bafana, meanwhile, were named winners of the Fair Play award. In terms of prize money, which was increased by Motsepe's CAF ahead of the tournament in the Ivory Coast, losing quarter-finalists Angola, Guinea, Mali and Morocco's federations have earned $1.3 million (R24.7 million) each for their commendable efforts in West Africa, while losing semi-finalists South Africa and DR Congo will be paid $2.5 million (R47.5 million). Losing finalists Nigeria earned $4 million (R76 million) and champions Ivory Coast secured a handsome payday of $7 million (R133 million).
The biggest underperformers
Afcon 2023 could very well go down as the most exciting edition of the competition to have ever taken place. From upsets to surprise exits, as well as underdogs exceeding expectations considerably, the 34th edition of the continental showpiece did not disappoint. Some supporters, however, will have been dismayed by their team's performances. Some of the sides that traditionally go into the competition as favourites were among those forced to leave Ivory Coast earlier than they would have liked. These teams include Egypt, Ghana, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and even Cameroon. The Pharaohs were underwhelming from the get-go, drawing 2-2 with Mozambique in their opener. The trend of taking just one point from matches resumed for the rest of their two group-stage matches. They then lost Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah to injury during their clash against the Black Stars, but still managed to qualify for the Round of 16 despite only accumulating three points! They were then knocked out by DR Congo on penalties, concluding a disastrous Afcon campaign for the seven-time champions. It was much the same for group rivals Ghana. They were also considered to be among the favourites, but it just was not to be for the nine-time finalists, who failed to qualify for the knockout rounds. Other traditional North African giants massively underwhelmed throughout the campaign. Algeria, despite boasting stars including Riyad Mahrez, Roma's Houssem Aouar, and players who ply their trades in Europe, failed to make it out of the group stage. The side picked up just two points from three matches. The same went for Tunisia. The Carthage Eagles finished bottom of their group with a lowly two points. Morocco, meanwhile, came into the tournament as 2022 FIFA World Cup semi-finalists, which automatically made them favourites to win the entire competition. Considering the expectations, they fell drastically short. The Atlas Lions' roar failed to intimidate Bafana Bafana, who knocked them out in the Round of 16. The underachievers will certainly be hoping to put up a better showing when Afcon 2025 comes around.
Best Afcon ever?
The tournament undeniably lived up to expectations as it captivated its biggest audience ever, thus making it a success from a commercial standpoint at least. According to CAF, the final between Ivory Coast and Nigeria was televised in 173 territories across the globe, making it the most-watched Afcon in history. Its global appeal is said to have reached all 54 African countries, the vast part of Europe, Asia, the Middle East, South America, North America, as well as the Caribbean and South Pacific. Also, for the first time, more than 33 cameras were used during the broadcast of the final, bringing viewers a first-class immersive experience. On the pitch, it was drama and entertainment like never witnessed before in the competition as there were sensational underdog stories. To put things into a broader context, some of the slightly unusual things that occurred include Equatorial Guinea's Nsue finishing as the tournament's top scorer. The 34-year-old plies his trade in the third tier of Spanish football for a club called CF Intercity, for whom he represents mainly as a right-back! The hosts won the tournament despite having been on the brink of the worst showing ever by a host nation as they reached the knockout phase only by being one of the four best third-placed teams during the group stage. COSAFA had five representatives (South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia, Angola, and Namibia) at the showpiece, the most ever in one edition of the tournament. Perhaps even more bizarrely, not a single African top five-ranked national team reach the semi-final round! Furthermore, a whopping 119 goals were scored, the most by some distance in comparison to previous tournaments, as per CAF. Indeed, viewers witnessed fireworks in West Africa!
