Nigeria 1-2 Ivory Coast: Sebastian Haller seals comeback win Elephants win AFCON final on home soil | OneFootball

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Matt Verri

produced a fairytale ending to the most remarkable run at the Africa Cup of Nations as Sebastian Haller’s winner completed a 2-1 comeback win over Nigeria in the final.

The hosts lost two of their group-stage matches, sacked their manager and then pulled off a penalty-shootout victory and a 122nd-minute winner on their way to booking an improbable place in the final.

And yet, just under three weeks after they were hammered 4-0 by Equatorial Guinea to end Jean-Louis Gasset’s reign and leave them on the brink of elimination, Ivory Coast served up another memorable night, this time one that sparked wild celebrations in Abidjan.

They were very much the better side in the opening 45 minutes, but William Troost-Ekong’s header against the run of play gave Nigeria advantage at the break. The Super Eagles had conceded just two goals on their run to the final and, at the halfway stage, looked destined to grind out another narrow win.

That tally for Nigeria would be doubled though, as Ivory Coast first drew level and then moved in front themselves. Franck Kessie powered home a header of his from a set-piece in the hour mark, and Haller then completed the turnaround with ten minutes remaining as he flicked a brilliant finish into the far corner, after yet more superb work from Simon Adingra.