ELEPHANTS of Cote d’Ivoire head coach Emerse Fae believes the Super Eagles of Nigeria do not have the edge over his side in tonight’s AFCON 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final.
The two giants of West African and African football go head to head at the Alassane Outtara Stadium in Abijdan in the decider of a tournament that has held the world captive for one month, with the biggest sporting prize on the continent on the line.
The Super Eagles got the better of the Elephants when they met earlier in the competition three weeks ago, with William Troost-Ekong’s penalty making the difference in the Group A encounter.
“The fact that Nigeria have beaten us is a good thing because we know whom we are up against,” Fae, who took over midway into the tournament after Jean-Louis Gasset was sacked, said.
“The manner in which we prepare for the match with our players is critical. I think that the Super Eagles and ourselves are at the same level.”
Cote d’Ivoire were on the verge of an embarrassing early exit after two group phase defeats to Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea, but they squeezed through to the knockout rounds as one of the best third-placed teams.
Fae believes his side have grown in leaps and bounds from that shaky start and are eager to go all the way in front of 60,000 adoring fans tonight.
“We have a great opportunity; we are 90 minutes away from adding a third star to the Ivorian jersey,” added the 40-year-old former Cote d’Ivoire midfielder, who was in the squad that lost to Egypt in the 2006 final.
“The teams are on equal footing, psychologically. As the competition has progressed, the Nigerian team has gained strength. We had a very difficult journey at the beginning, but we gained momentum from the round of 16 against Senegal.
“Like any high-level match, like any final, it will come down to the details. We will be patient. We will not rush. We will focus on starting the match well and be patient in order to unsettle them.”
The final match will kick off at 9pm Nigerian time tonight.
