MADRID, 12 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
A goal by Sebastien Haller in the 81st minute gave Côte d'Ivoire the third African Cup of their record by beating Nigeria 1-2 in the final this Sunday at the National Stadium of Côte d'Ivoire.
Haller, who was the architect of the passage to the final with his goal in the 'semi' against Congo, put his toe into the small area to send the score 1-2 into the net in the decisive part of the match in Abidjan.
The Borussia Dortmund striker, who returned to football a year ago after recovering from testicular cancer, gave his country its third African Cup after those in 1995 and 2015. Nigeria, which was looking for its fourth, ruled the final for many minutes .
William Troost-Ekong gave the Nigerians the lead in the 38th minute, but former FC Barcelona player Franck Kessie equalized in the 62nd minute. With the final looking to extra time, Haller appeared to make the host champion. An Ivory Coast that dismissed its coach Jean-Louis Gasset in the group stage and with the help of interim Emerse Fae ended up lifting the title.