{"id":1341123,"date":"2024-02-12T10:22:06","date_gmt":"2024-02-12T10:22:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1341123"},"modified":"2024-02-12T10:22:06","modified_gmt":"2024-02-12T10:22:06","slug":"afcon-2023-exciting-players-stories","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/afcon-2023-exciting-players-stories\/","title":{"rendered":"Eight exciting players + stories from Africa Cup of Nations 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"

Well there we have it. The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations is over, and what a tournament it was.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It had everything you could possibly want from a football tournament, with goals, fantastic performances, drama and so much more.<\/p>\n

Ivory Coast were crowned champions of Africa for the third time in their history, claiming the trophy as hosts of the tournament in front of a raucous home crowd. But rather than be sad that the tournament is over, let’s remember the good times of AFCON 2023.<\/p>\n

We’ve rounded up the best stories, and some key players, from the tournament below.<\/p>\n

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    Ivory Coast’s historic win<\/h2>\n

    There’s no other place to start.<\/p>\n

    It looked as though the host’s tournament would be over after just three games, as they managed just one win in the group stage. The final nail in the coffin was a 4-0 trashing at the hands of Equatorial Guinea, condemning Ivory Coast to third. <\/p>\n

    As a result, manager Jean-Louis Gasset was sacked. But thanks to Ghana’s capitulation in their 2-2 draw with Mozambique, as well as Zambia losing their final game, Ivory Coast scraped through to the last 16 as the fourth-best third-placed team. Then it all became about Ivory Coast’s resolve.<\/p>\n

    They knocked out defending champions Senegal on penalties, having equalised in the 86th minute. In the quarter-finals, there was a 90th-minute equaliser and 120th-minute winner against Mali, as Ivory Coast looked so close to bowing out. <\/p>\n

    In the semi-finals, Sebastian Haller scored the only goal in a 1-0 win over DR Congo and the Borussia Dortmund striker netted the winner against Nigeria in the final, after Franck Kessie had equalised following William Troost-Ekong’s opener. A win from behind, it perfectly summed up Ivory Coast’s tournament as they became the first host nation to win the Africa Cup of Nations since Egypt in 2006.<\/p>\n

    Remarkably, Kessie was the first Ivorian to score in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations, as their previous two wins in 1992 and 2015 came on penalties after goalless draws — both against Ghana.<\/p>\n

    \n

    \u25c9 Finish 3rd in their group
    \u25c9 Sack their manager
    \u25c9 Hire Emerse Fa\u00e9 as caretaker manager
    \u25c9 Knock out defending champions Senegal on penalties
    \u25c9 Come from behind to win the final in their home tournament<\/p>\n

    What a crazy ride it\u2019s been. ???#AFCON2023<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/xyyw9jaZuD<\/a><\/p>\n

    — Squawka (@Squawka) February 11, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n