The odds were stacked against them when they faced highly-favored Senegal in the round of 16, but they pulled off a late comeback to force a shootout and win 5-4.
The judgment was still out on the Ivorians despite their triumph against favorites Senegal, but they maintained their thrilling journey with a 2-1 victory over Mali thanks to two late goals.
Then the Democratic Republic of Congo emerged, which not only outplayed everyone else in the competition but also displayed some of the best attacking football. But with Sebastian Haller, a player who had defeated testicular cancer six months before, volleying home the game-winning ball, Ivory Coast wrote another moving chapter in their amazing tale.
For fans of African football players, the other semi-final match saw Nigeria defeat South Africa, setting up a fantasy final. It makes sense that the Super Eagles, with current African footballer of the year Victor Osimhen leading a formidable offense and a strong defense, were the bookies’ favorites to win their fourth AFCON, which would have placed them on level with