Last week, Ivory Coast suffered a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Equatorial Guinea. However, they have managed to make it to the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations by eliminating the reigning champions. Despite facing multiple setbacks throughout the tournament, including being down a goal with only four minutes left in their most recent match, Sébastien Haller’s team has persevered and will now face Mali or Burkina Faso in the next round.
Senegal, who had performed exceptionally well in the group stage, appeared to have the game under control until Haller was brought in. It appeared to be a typical situation of scoring an early goal and then maintaining the lead until the end of the game. However, this was not the case, continuing the trend of no defending champion making it to the quarter-finals since Egypt in 2010. “We deserved to advance to the quarter-finals,” stated Senegal’s coach Aliou Cissé, who expressed disappointment but also pride. “But this is football, so we cannot make excuses.”
The defeat in the second half against Equatorial Guinea was devastating for Ivory Coast and felt like a final loss that could leave a lasting impact on the country’s mentality for years. However, a week later, they were shocked to find that they were still in the competition. This may not have been entirely unexpected, as Avram Grant’s Zambia team could have secured their spot if they had scored one more goal in any of their matches.
However, they eventually realized that their coach, Jean Louis-Gasset, had been dismissed after their humiliating loss to Equatorial Guinea. It is unclear why the 70-year-old Frenchman, who had no prior experience with African football, was chosen in the first place. After unsuccessfully attempting to recruit Hervé Renard, who had led the France women’s team to the Cup of Nations in 2015, Ivory Coast has now appointed former Reading midfielder Emerse Faé as their temporary coach. This is Faé’s first coaching opportunity. Considering that the country reportedly spent $1 billion to host the tournament, their actions seem careless.
One potential benefit for Ivory Coast was their lack of expectations; the undead are not typically held to high standards. Additionally, zombies may not be concerned with aging, as the pursuit of eternal youth would likely seem pointless to those who have recently been resurrected. This could explain why 36-year-old Max Gradel returned to the forward line for his first start of the tournament, as one of five changes made after their loss to Equatorial Guinea.
Please view the image in full screen.
Unfortunately, the issue lies in the fact that although the reanimated dead may excel at attacking expansive frozen barricades on the northern frontiers, or rural Pennsylvania farmhouses, or Crouch End pubs, they struggle with crosses. Within a mere four minutes, a precise cross from Sadio Mané was received by Habib Diallo in the penalty area, and he dashed Ivory Coast’s chances by quickly turning and blasting a powerful shot into the top corner of the goal.
Afterwards, the Ivorians appeared to have regained some confidence as they dominated possession. It’s possible that the game could have turned out differently if Mané’s tackle on Ibrahim Sangaré had resulted in a red card instead of a yellow, but Senegal did not seem completely trapped with limited resources like an old rifle and dwindling ammunition in a pub cellar.
However, dealing with the reanimated can be quite difficult. There is always the possibility that a decaying arm could emerge from the ground to grab an unsuspecting Senegalese foot. Fortunately, with Édouard Mendy confidently catching several crosses, the corpses stayed buried – at least until Haller, whose absence due to injury has been a major issue for Ivory Coast, substituted in for Jean-Philippe Krasso after 72 minutes.
Skip over the advertisement for the newsletter.
after newsletter promotion
Mendy was quickly forced to make two saves, but he took down Nicolas Pépé after Haller’s pass. This was the missing piece for Ivory Coast; this was their true potential. Faé stated, “We had to regain our warrior mentality.” Franck Kessié converted a penalty kick, and Senegal, who were only four minutes away from advancing to the quarter-finals, were now faced with a battle they hadn’t won yet. The looming threat of defeat had them on edge, and they were ultimately forced into a shootout.
After getting a hold of them, they were unable to get rid of them. During a penalty kick, Moussa Niakhaté from Nottingham Forest hit the post, allowing Kessié to make the final, game-winning kick. Senegal’s attempt at defending their title was unsuccessful and the Ivorian team, surprisingly, not only survived but also celebrated in disbelief.
Source: theguardian.com
