Ivory Coast Deserved Victory, Admits Peseiro After Super Eagles’ AFCON Final Loss

In a thrilling conclusion to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), hosts Ivory Coast emerged victorious with a 2-1 win over Nigeria in the final.

Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro acknowledged that the Elephants were the better team on the night, as Nigeria made it to their first final since 2013.

Ivory Coast completed a remarkable turnaround, having been on the brink of elimination in the group stage after a 4-0 loss to Equatorial Guinea on January 22.

The team parted ways with coach Jean-Louis Gasset and replaced him with Emerse Fae, who led them to victories over Senegal, Mali, and DR Congo in the knockout stages.

The final was an intense affair, with Ivory Coast fans packing the stadium to its 60,000 capacity. The last 11 AFCON finals had been low-scoring affairs, with only 10 goals scored in total.

Peseiro expressed his disappointment but also praised his team’s efforts, saying, “Ivory Coast were better than us today.

I am sad, my team is sad, but for me they did the maximum, each one. Sometimes you want to do something but you cannot do it.”

The victory marks Ivory Coast’s third continental title, and it is an incredible achievement for a team that faced significant challenges throughout the tournament.