From our special correspondent in Abidjan – Ivory Coast’s decisive match against Equatorial Guinea turned into an ordeal. The Nzalang humiliated the Elephants who were far too clumsy in front of goal by inflicting a 4-0 correction on them. Third in group A, the Ivorians could miss out on their own CAN.
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Had the ghosts of 1984 invaded the Ébimpé stadium on Monday January 22? Ivory Coast looked helpless against Equatorial Guinea and were humiliated in front of their home crowd, beaten 4-0 and having two goals denied. Their opponent finishes first in group A while Nigeria, winner at the same time of Guinea-Bissau (1-0) is their runner-up. The Ivorians will have to wait for the results of the 5 other groups to know if they reach the round of 16 among the four best third-placed teams, or if history repeats itself with elimination at home in the first round.
Read alsoThe final ranking of group A
As this match begins, the Elephants are under pressure. President Alassane Ouattara himself called for sacred union: “Go Elephants! The whole country is behind you,” the head of state wrote on X.
In the stands, the leader’s message is heard. The more matches go by, the more Ivorian supporters respond to encourage their players. A tifo is deployed in one of the corners in a perfect manner, making us forget the failure of the match against Nigeria. And new, they whistle as soon as Equatorial Guinea has the ball.
Clumsy Elephants
Galvanized, the Elephants responded and started the match with flying colors. They invade the territory of the Equatorial Guineans, instantly putting their heads under water. Nicolas Pépé is untenable on his right side but lacks precision when making the last pass (13th, 17th). Equatorial Guinea is confined at home.
On a cross from Konan, the Nzalang goalkeeper, Ngua, punches the ball which falls directly into the feet of Diakité. The Ivorian confuses speed and haste and sends the ball over (26th).
Then, it was Nicolas Pépé’s turn to come close to opening the scoring. The 2019 Marc-Vivien Foé Prize takes advantage of Kouamé’s back-to-goal work to take the ball away. The former Angevin resists the defender’s charge and the temptation to claim the penalty, eliminates the goalkeeper but does not straighten the ball towards the nets (28th).
Against the flow of play, Nsué finds the fault
The Elephants think they are in control of the game but Nzalang strikes when they least expect it. Just before half-time, on their first foray, Carlos Akapo performed a little number in the defense and found his captain Nsué, who took the opportunity to score his fourth goal of the competition (42nd, 1-0). The Orange are on the edge of the precipice, especially since Nigeria opened the scoring almost in the same minute in the other match…
But the Ivorians are not stunned. They attack again. Sangaré takes advantage of a header from Kouamé on a cross from Pépé to score. But VAR deprives them of the joy of the equalizer revealing an offside. When it doesn’t want…
How to come back from this double disillusionment just before half-time? Not by sending a cannonball… into the stands, as Sangaré does (46th). Nor by offering a free kick to Saul Coco who almost deceives Yahia Fofana (53rd).
Two goals disallowed
Despite the encouragement of its public, Côte d’Ivoire seems doomed to take advantage of all its opportunities. Like Kouamé, alone against Ngua, who still comes up against the goalkeeper (60th).
Coach Jean-Louis Gasset is forced to try everything and makes a triple change. Three attackers, Konaté, Krasso and Boga, enter the field. And it works ! Krasso finds the loophole. Before another offside was signaled (66th). When it doesn’t work, well…
In the process, Equatorial Guinea obtains an interesting free kick. Pablo Ganet takes his time and cleans the top corner of Yahia Fofana (73rd, 2-0). Then on a counterattack, Nsué added more (75th, 3-0). When it doesn’t want to, ter…
Ivory Coast is humiliated. The spectators begin to leave the stands while those who remain begin to boo the players. The Ivorians are preparing to live the longest 20 minutes of their existence.
The ordeal ends without Côte d’Ivoire even reducing the score. Worse, Jannick Buyla Sam finished off the Elephants just before stoppage time (88th, 4-0). The referee extends the ordeal for seven minutes, fortunately without additional goals.
The spectators have heavy hearts: they don’t know this evening if it was their team’s last match in the competition. Indeed, their destiny now depends on the results of the other groups to find out if they will be drafted among the best thirds.
If this is not the case, they would become the first host country to miss out in the first round since the expansion of the CAN to 24 teams in 2019. A real humiliation.
Equatorial Guinea, with its impressive score, secured its first place in Group A, ahead of Nigeria thanks to goal difference. The Super Eagles did not force, but did not convince either to win against Guinea-Bissau, already eliminated.
