FACTBOX-Soccer-Africa Cup of Nations final – Ivory Coast v Nigeria

ABIDJAN, Feb 9 (Reuters) – Factbox on Ivory Coast and Nigeria, who contest Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations final at Abidjan’s Alassane Ouattara Olympic Stadium:

IVORY COAST

Africa Cup of Nations record:

Previous appearances in finals: (24) 1965, 1968, 1970, 1974, 1980, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021

Best performance: Winners 1992, 2015

FIFA world ranking Dec 2023: 49

Road to the final

Group A

Jan 13 (Abidjan) beat Guinea Bissau 2-0 (Seko Fofana, Jean-Philippe Krasso)

Jan 18 (Abidjan) lost to Nigeria 0-1

Jan 22 (Abidjan) lost to Equatorial Guinea 0-4

Last 16

Jan 29 (Yamoussoukro) beat Senegal 5-4 on penalties after 1-1 draw (Franck Kessie pen)

Quarter-final

Feb 3 (Bouake) beat Mali 2-1 after extra time (Simon Adingra, Oumar Diakite)

Semi-final

Feb 7 (Abidjan) beat DR Congo 1-0 (Sebastien Haller)

Expected line-up: Yahia Fofana, Wilfried Singo, Willy Boly, Evan Ndicka, Ghislain Konan, Jean Michael Seri, Franck Kessie, Seko Fofana, Max Alain Gradel, Simon Adingra, Sebastien Haller.

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NIGERIA

Africa Cup of Nations record:

Previous appearances in finals: (19) 1963, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2019, 2021

Best performance: Winners 1980, 1994, 2013

FIFA world ranking Dec 2023: 42

Road to the final

Group C

Jan 14 (Abidjan) drew 1-1 with Equatorial Guinea (Victor Osimhen)

Jan 18 (Abidjan) beat Ivory Coast 1-0 (William Troost-Ekong pen)

Jan 22 (Abidjan) beat Guinea Bissau 1-0 (Opa Sangante own goal)

Last 16

Jan 27 (Abidjan) beat Cameroon 2-0 (Ademola Lookman 2)

Quarter-final

Feb 2 (Abidjan) beat Angola 1-0 (Lookman)

Semi-final

Feb 7 (Bouake) beat South Africa 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw (Troost-Ekong pen)

Expected line-up: Stanley Nwabili, Ola Aina, Semi Ajayi, William Troost-Ekong, Calvin Bassey, Zaidu Sanusi, Frank Onyeka, Alex Iwobi, Moses Simon, Ademola Lookman, Victor Osimhen.

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RECENT PAST MEETINGS

Jan 2024 Nigeria beat Ivory Coast 1-0 in Abidjan in the group phase of the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Ivory Coast.

Feb 2013 Nigeria beat Ivory Coast 2-1 in Rustenburg, South Africa in the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final.

Jan 2008 Ivory Coast beat Nigeria 1-0 in Sekondi in the group phase of the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Ghana.

Feb 2006 Ivory Coast beat Nigeria 1-0 in Alexandria, Egypt in the Africa Cup of Nations semi-final.

Jan 2002 Drew 1-1 in a friendly international in Bouake (Compiled by Mark Gleeson; Editing by Toby Davis)

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