Hosts of AFCON 2023, Ivory Coast, have paved their way to the finals of this competition and would be hoping to win the title in front of their home crowd. They are pitted against Nigeria and will be facing stern competition from the Super Eagles.
After finishing in the 3rd position in Group A after the end of the group-stage, Ivory Coast had a dramatic turnaround and change in their fortunes. The Elephants defeated defending champions Senegal in the Round of 16 in the penalty round and it was a memorable victory for them.
Post that, they defeated Mali 2-1 in the quarter-finals and then DR Congo 1-0 in the semi-finals to cement their place in the all-important and thrilling summit clash of AFCON 2023.
In this article, we take a look at 3 players to watch out for in the Ivory Coast side for the finals of AFCON 2023:
1. Seko Fofana
With 1 goal and 2 assists under his belt, Seko Fofana has been an integral part of the Ivory Coast side in the AFCON 2023 competition. The 28-year-old midfielder who plays for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro league alongside Cristiano Ronaldo will have his task cut-out for the all-important finals against Nigeria.
He had scored against Guinea-Bissau in the group-stage encounter for Ivory Coast and would be hoping to emulate his performance from that game.
2. Sebastian Haller
Having scored in the semi-finals against DR Congo, Sebastian Haller would be brimming with confidence and momentum. Momentum is an important part of football and Sebastian Haller’s eyes would be on the prize in this summit clash.
Haller plays as a striker for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga and has so far represented Ivory Coast in 20 international games and has netted 9 goals.
3. Serge Aurier
A doyen in the defensive department of Ivory Coast, Serge Aurier would be another player to watch out for in the Ivory Coast side. He brings in a truckload of experience and would be keen on leaving a lasting impressing in the finals of the ongoing AFCON 2023.
The 31-year-old is the captain of Ivory Coast and would be looking to marshal his troops with perfection on 12th February 2024. Aurier has also played for PSG and Nottingham Forest and has been in high-octane situations before as well in football.
Presently, he plies his trade for Galatasaray in the Super Lig, which is the top-flight football league in Turkish football.
Also read: AFCON 2023 Finals: Teams, Date, Time, Venue, Squads, Know All
