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    Serie A star rushed to hospital with MALARIA just ten days after Ivory Coast ace celebrated Afcon victory over Nigeria

    FIORENTINA and Ivory Coast star Christian Kouame has been hospitalised after contracting malaria.The winger, 26, was a part of the Ivorians’ triumph at the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this month.
    Christian Kouame has contracted malaria and been hospitalised in FlorenceCredit: Getty
    But when he returned to Italy to link up with his club, he was suffering from a fever.
    This led to tests in Florence as medics looked to work out the issue.
    And Fiorentina have now confirmed Kouame has been diagnosed with malaria.
    A club statement read: “Christian Kouame took a malaria test on Wednesday morning after developing a fever and a feeling of malaise during the night between February 20th and 21st.
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    “The test came back positive.
    “Christian has gone into hospital to receive treatment and will continue to be assessed over the coming days.”
    Kouame, who started three of Ivory Coast’s six games at the tournament, is the third Afcon player to test positive for malaria.
    Mali star Moussa Diarra contracted the illness, while compatriot and Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma also tested positive for the virus, but was still available for selection until his country were eliminated in the last 16.
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    Kouame, who has 26 international caps, has made 22 appearances for Fiorentina this season, scoring one goal and providing one assist.
    But his departure for Afcon at the beginning of 2024 coincided with a huge downturn in the club’s form.
    Inside Ivory Coast’s bonkers route to Afcon final after sacking manager mid-tournament and humiliating defeat
    They have won just one of seven Serie A games without Kouame, losing four.
    They were also beaten 3-0 by Napoli in the semi-finals of the Italian Super Cup. More

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    Sebastien Haller’s amazing story from testicular tumour to ‘f*** cancer’ boots and emotional tears after Afcon winner

    SEBASTIEN HALLER broke down in tears when he reflected on his incredible comeback after beating cancer. The striker was overcome with emotion in his post-match interview inside the Alassane Ouattara Stadium after scoring the winner to seal the Afcon trophy for Ivory Coast on Sunday.
    Sebastien Haller in tears after Afcon win
    Cancer survivor Haller fired Ivory Coast to Afcon gloryCredit: AP
    The striker was diagnosed with testicular cancer in July 2022Credit: Credit: Instagram
    In January 2023 Haller showed off his incredible new “f*** cancer” football boots ahead of his Borussia Dortmund debut
    He said: “We dreamed of this moment so many times,
    “We hoped to get to this point and once again the match wasn’t an easy one.
    “The joyous scenes we see now, what’s happening in the country, they deserve it too. I really hope it does a lot of people good.”
    It was not only a fairytale win for the tournament hosts, but also for Haller – who was diagnosed with testicular cancer 18 months ago.
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    July 18, 2022 was supposed to be a normal day in training for the Borussia Dortmund forward.
    The German side had began their pre-season tour of Switzerland, with Haller joining the squad less than two weeks after arriving from Ajax for £31million.
    But Haller’s life was turned upside down when he reported feeling unwell in the morning.
    Further examinations discovered that the ex-West Ham forward had a testicular tumour that was confirmed as cancer just hours later.
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    ROAD TO RECOVERY
    Messages of support flooded in after Ajax player held up their former team-mate’s shirt number before beating Red Bull Salzburg in a friendly the following day.
    Haller was all smiles though as he shared a photo on social media from a hospital bed before embarking on his first round of treatment three days after his diagnosis.
    The caption of the picture read: “Good evening everyone I wanted to inform you that the 1st step has been accomplished!
    “I would like to thank [Borussia Dortmund] and the medical team who have been exceptional with me.
    Chelsea legend Didier Drogba joins wild celebrations as Ivory Coast win Afcon beating Nigeria 2-1 in the final
    “A big thank you also to all the hospital caregivers for their support and kindness 🙏🏽💪🏾”
    Just over a month later, Haller fought back tears as he appeared at an awards ceremony after finishing the previous season as the Eredivisie’s top scorer at Ajax.
    In his acceptance speech, Haller thanked his friends and family for their unwavering support after starting chemotherapy, as he admitted “I’m lucky to have people around me”.
    Haller netted 21 goals in 31 appearances for Ajax, helping them win the Dutch title.
    The forward had started chemotherapy, and looked very different on the awards stage without his usual full head of hair.
    Haller gave an update on his condition while collecting the Eredivisie top scorer awardCredit: Credit: https://twitter.com
    EPIC COMEBACK
    Eyebrows were raised over whether Haller would ever play football again following two gruelling surgeries and four rounds of chemotherapy.
    Just six months later he was back on the training pitch in the opening days of January 2023.
    He unveiled new boots with the message “f*** cancer” on them after finding the net in warm up friendlies to show there were no signs of rust.
    Haller was thrown straight back into the team by manager Edin Terzic.
    It was written in the stars that he would net his first competitive goal since his treatment on World Cancer Day against Freiburg on February 4.
    The striker went onto score nine goals in 19 league games that term, keeping his side in touching distance of Bayern Munich in the title race.
    Haller said at the time that missing out on the Bundesliga title with Borussia Dortmund was WORSE than hearing he’d been diagnosed with testicular cancer.
    FINAL FLOURISH
    Afcon was the golden opportunity to put things right.
    But it was far from plain sailing with him not playing a single minute in the group stages due to an ankle injury.
    And Ivory Coast made it into the knockout stages by the skin of their teeth after losing two of their three matches and going through as the best third-placed team.
    Haller scored his spot-kick for Ivory Coast – who sacked their manager before the end of the group stage – against Senegal in the last 16 clash.
    In the semi-finals Haller was finally fit enough to start against DR Congo.
    READ MORE SUN STORIES
    He sealed his nation’s spot in the final with a moment of magic before a fairtytale ending on Sunday.
    Hallerlujah.
    Chelsea legend Didier Drogba celebrated wildly with the team
    Haller scored a brilliant goal to complete a 2-1 comeback win for the hostsCredit: AFP More

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    Inside Ivory Coast’s wild celebrations as Drogba jumps for joy and stars copy Ronaldo’s ‘siu’ after Afcon triumph

    IVORY COAST celebrated in style after being crowned champions of Africa on Sunday.The Elephants came from behind to defeat Nigeria 2-1 on home soil in a thrilling final.
    Didier Drogba jumped for joy on the sidelines when his country clinched the win over NigeriaCredit: Instagram / @caf_online
    The legendary striker ran to celebrate with the playersCredit: X formerly Twiter / @CAF_Online
    Ivory Coast won the Africa Cup of Nations on SundayCredit: AFP
    Oumar Diakite and Karim Konate did Cristiano Ronaldo’s iconic ‘siu’ celebrationCredit: X formerly Twiter / @CAF_Online
    William Troost-Ekong opened the scoring for Nigeria in the 38th minute before Franck Kessie equalised in the second half.
    And with less than 10 minutes to play Sebastien Haller popped up to net the winner, sparking incredible celebrations in the Ivory Coast dugout.
    At full-time the substitutes burst onto the pitch to join their team-mates while rookie manager Emerse Fae embraced his coaching staff.
    Legendary striker Didier Drogba also got involved after jumping for joy on the sidelines.
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    The former Chelsea star was spotted dancing with the team after the final whistle before celebrating with fans.
    Meanwhile, Ivory Coast stars Oumar Diakite and Karim Konate did Cristiano Ronaldo’s iconic ‘siu’ celebration on the pitch.
    After lifting the Africa Cup of Nations trophy, the players returned to the dressing room where the celebrations continued.
    While some posed for pictures with their winners medals, others danced with the national flag.
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    Players danced around the dressing room in celebrationCredit: X formerly Twitter / @CAF_Online
    They huddled together to dance with the Ivory Coast flagCredit: Instagram / @djobamba
    The champions were jumping for joy in the dressing room after the matchCredit: Instagram / @djobamba
    Fans surrounded the team bus after the matchCredit: Instagram / @nicolas.pepe19
    Nicolas Pepe held the trophy out of the windowCredit: Instagram / @nicolas.pepe19
    They also passed the trophy around while blasting music from a speaker.
    The Ivory Coast stars then took the celebrations onto the team bus.
    Fans swarmed the vehicle to celebrate with the players while ex-Arsenal star Nicolas Pepe held the trophy out of the window.
    As the Elephants arrived back at their team hotel, a large crowd of fans greeted them with a hero’s welcome.
    Chelsea legend Didier Drogba joins wild celebrations as Ivory Coast win Afcon beating Nigeria 2-1 in the final
    Fireworks were set off in the area while the players approached the front of the hotel.
    They then enjoyed a late night party inside to end the incredible evening.
    Ivory Coast enjoyed a chaotic route to the AFCON final.
    They were left on the brink of elimination following a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Equatorial Guinea in the final game of their group stage.
    They subsequently sacked manager Jean-Louis Gasset and replaced him with his assistant, Emerse Fae, as interim head coach.
    The Elephants were immediately able to bounce back, sealing wins over Senegal, Mali and DR Congo before defeating Nigeria in the final.
    READ MORE SUN STORIES
    It was also a special tournament for Haller, who spent six months away from the game after being diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2022.
    The striker returned to action in January 2023 and on Sunday, just over one year later, he scored the winner in the AFCON final.
    Fans gathered outside the team hotel to celebrate and set of fireworksCredit: Instagram / @djobamba
    Yahia Fofana shared a video of the late night celebrationsCredit: Instagram / @yahia.fofana_ More

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    Nigeria vs Ivory Coast LIVE RESULT: Afcon final latest – Haller WINS it for the hosts as Elephants fight from goal down

    SEBASTIEN HALLER and Franck Kessie have fired hosts Ivory Coast to the Africa Cup of Nations trophy as the hosts battled from a goal down to win the game.The Super Eagles took the lead in the first-half after Super Eagles skipper William Troost-Ekong powered home a close range header.
    But Kessie fired home from close range to draw the Elephants, who sacked their manager during the group stage, level.
    Former West Ham striker Haller – who had a six-month fight with cancer – then completed a fairy tale ending, poking home a cross to earn the hosts the Afcon title.

    Match result: Nigeria 1-2 Ivory Coast
    Nigeria XI: Nwabali, Ajayi, Troost-Ekong, Bassey, Aina, Onyeka, Iwobi, Sanusi, Chukwueze, Lookman, Osimhen.
    Ivory Coast XI: Fofana, Aurier, Kossounou, Ndicka, Konan, Kessie, Seri, Fofana, Gradel, Haller, Adingra.

    Follow all the action from the massive final in our live blog below…
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    Match report, Jon West:
    SEBASTIEN HALLER was the comeback hero as the Ivory Coast lifted the Africa Nations Cup in front of their own fans.
    Nigeria scored first in the thriller on Sunday night.
    But ex-West Ham forward Haller, now at Borussia Dortmund, netted a winner for 2-1 nine minutes from time to complete a remarkable personal journey as well.
    Haller, 29, had his career put on hold by cancer but returned to triumph on the continent’s biggest stage.
    Ivory Coast, who only just scraped through the group stage, bossed the opening exchanges.
    Veteran Max Gradel went close with an overhead kick into the side-netting.
    Read the rest of the match report, here….
    Copy linkCopiedSunSport MOTM:
    There were some incredible performances out there for Ivory Coast tonight.
    Jean-Michael Seri ran the show in midfield, and controlled the game absolutely brilliantly.
    Sebastian Haller completed his fairy-tale story and scored the winning goal, as well as proving a handful for the Nigerian defence throughout.
    Odilon Kossounou was exceptional at centre-half, as he has been for Bayer Leverkusen all season too.
    But the SunSport Man of the Match goes to Simon Adingra.
    I told you before the game kicked off that he was the young player to watch, and he showed his immense potential once again tonight.
    Brighton have got a gem on their hands that caused no end of problems for Ola Aina, and he picked up two assists to boot too.
    What a performance. Simon Adingra take a bow.
    Simon Adingra was the star of the show in the AFCON finalCredit: Reuters
    Copy linkCopiedNever give up
    Let Sebastian Haller’s story be one that inspires you all.
    Never. Give. Up.
    Sebastian Haller has an inspiring story to shareCredit: X – @FabrizioRomano
    Copy linkCopiedNew manager bounce?
    It looked like bad news for Ivory Coast when they removed incumbent manager Jean-Louis Gasset and replaced him with his assistant, Emerse Fae as interim head coach.
    But it turned out to be the best possible decision they could have made…
    Fae was able to immediately benefit from Afcon’s recent expansion from a 16-team tournament to a 24 team event, seeing his side qualify for the round of 16 as one of the best performing third place group stage teams.
    They had a few dramatic games in the RO16 and quarter-finals, with both going to extra-time, but the “zombie” team were able to reach the final in a more straight forward manner on Wednesday, beating DR Congo 1-0 courtesy of a Sebastien Haller strike.
    They then took it all the way tonight, overturning a one goal deficit to win 2-1 thanks to another bit of brilliance by Mr. Haller.
    What a story.
    Emerse Fae (pictured) replaced Jean-Louis Gasset mid tournamentCredit: Reuters
    Copy linkCopiedHeroic Haller!
    What a fairy-tale story that is.
    In July 2022 Sebastian Haller was diagnosed with testicular cancer, less than two years later he has scored the winner to make his country champions of Africa.
    If was a deft flick at the near post, following excellent work by Simon Adingra, which ended up in the top right corner.
    What a game, what a goal, what a story.
    That is the beauty of the African Cup of Nations.
    Sebastian Haller was the hero for Ivory CoastCredit: Reuters
    Copy linkCopiedFULL TIME! Nigeria 1-2 Ivory Coast
    THEY HAVE DONE IT. IVORY COAST ARE AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS CHAMPIONS!
    ABIDJAN ERUPTS!
    Abidjan erupts as Ivory Coast win the African Cup of NationsCredit: Reuters
    Copy linkCopiedNigeria 1-2 Ivory Coast
    90+6. It’s lumped forward again and again by Nigeria, still to no avail.
    They need to get their foot on the ball, but Ivory Coast are doing so well to prevent them from doing so.
    Ivory Coast can sense it…
    Copy linkCopiedNigeria 1-2 Ivory Coast
    90+3. The magnificent Jean-Michael Seri comes off to be replaced by Lazare Amani.
    Copy linkCopiedNigeria 1-2 Ivory Coast
    90. There has been SEVEN minutes added on at the end of the ninety here.
    Nigeria are getting desperate.
    Jean Krasso is on for the heroic Haller, and Fofana is replaced by Sangare.
    Copy linkCopiedNigeria 1-2 Ivory Coast
    87. There is still time for Nigeria here, who look like they are finally going to go for it in this game.
    There are two more changes for Nigeria in the dying moments, as forwards Terem Moffi and Joe Aribo are on for Frank Onyeka and Zaidu Sanusi.
    Copy linkCopiedNigeria 1-2 Ivory Coast
    82. What a finish that is by Sebastian Haller, a toe on the cross that flew into the top right corner.
    That could just be the fairy-tale ending to this story.
    Copy linkCopiedGOALLLLLL! Nigeria 1-2 Ivory Coast
    IVORY COAST TAKE THE LEAD, IT’S SEBASTIAN HALLER!
    Simon Adingra beats Ola Aina and crosses for Sebastian Haller to tap home! The Abidjan crowd is going WILD!
    Copy linkCopiedNigeria 1-1 Ivory Coast
    78. Another chance for the players to catch a breather and some water as Osimhen goes down.
    Kelechi Iheanacho replaces Ademola Lookman and Alhassan Yusuf comes on for Alex Iwobi.
    Copy linkCopiedNigeria 1-1 Ivory Coast
    75. Time for the second cooling break, with just 15 minutes plus stoppages to go.
    Copy linkCopiedSO CLOSE! Nigeria 1-1 Ivory Coast
    74. That was almost it, that was almost the moment for Sebastian Haller and Ivory Coast.
    A cross is put into the middle for Simon Adingra, who heads it across goal for Sebastian Haller to attempt a bicycle kick.
    It floats just wide of the top corner, but we have seen him do that before.
    Copy linkCopiedNigeria 1-1 Ivory Coast
    72. Adingra continues to tear up the left hand side for Ivory Coast, and the pressure is really starting to build.
    Osimhen cuts a very frustrated figure.
    Copy linkCopiedSUBS! Nigeria 1-1 Ivory Coast
    70. Oumar Diakite is on for Max Gradel, who has been excellent so far.
    Wilfried Singo is on to replace Serge Aurier.
    Copy linkCopiedNigeria 1-1 Ivory Coast
    67. Nigeria have a free kick in the attacking half, taken by Lookman into Troost-Ekong once more.
    It is a free header, but it floats over the crossbar.
    Copy linkCopiedNigeria 1-1 Ivory Coast
    65. Only once in the previous ten renditions have we seen two goals in an AFCON final.
    Victor Osimhen is now pleading with his teammates to step forward and move the ball forward.
    Ivory Coast feel that they can take advantage of the moment here and get another.
    Copy linkCopiedGOALLLLLL! Nigeria 1-1 Ivory Coast
    63. IVORY COAST LEVEL THE SCORING!
    It’s Kessie from the corner!
    Simon Adingra whips the ball in perfectly, for Kessie to head into the ground and into the net!
    That is what they have deserved, and Didier Drogba leads the celebrations for the Cote d’Ivoire faithful!
    Copy linkCopiedNigeria 1-0 Ivory Coast
    62. Ivory Coast really putting on the pressure here.
    A diving header from Kessie is saved, and then a long shot from Kossounou leads to a corner for the hosts.
    Copy linkCopiedNigeria 1-0 Ivory Coast
    60. Onyeka gives away another foul, on Kessie this time.
    Seri lashes a shot from distance following a lovely bit of skill, but it is wide of the mark.
    Copy linkCopiedSUB! Nigeria 1-0 Ivory Coast
    57. Excellent midfield play from Jean Michael Seri, who holds off Victor Osimhen and wins a throw in for his side.
    Samuel Chukwueze is substituted for Moses Simon.
    Copy linkCopiedNigeria 1-0 Ivory Coast
    55. Stanley Nwabali and Serge Aurier are both given yellow cards by the referee following some choice words from both of them.
    The game is back underway and it is no penalty for the challenge on Max Gradel.
    Copy linkCopiedNigeria 1-0 Ivory Coast
    52. One for VAR to look at here as Gradel goes down in the penalty area.
    The referee doesn’t give it, and I must say it doesn’t look like a penalty, it looks like Gradel is trying to buy that one…
    Copy linkCopied More

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    Ivory Coast 2 Nigeria 1: Cancer-beating striker Sebastien Haller completes fairytale to win Afcon for managerless hosts

    SEBASTIEN HALLER was the comeback hero as the Ivory Coast lifted the Africa Nations Cup in front of their own fans.Nigeria scored first in the thriller on Sunday night.
    Cancer survivor Sebastien Haller fired Ivory Coast to gloryCredit: AP
    Haller scored a brilliant goal to complete a 2-1 comeback win for the hostsCredit: AFP

    But ex-West Ham forward Haller, now at Borussia Dortmund, netted a winner for 2-1 nine minutes from time to complete a remarkable personal journey as well.
    Haller, 29, had his career put on hold by cancer but returned to triumph on the continent’s biggest stage.
    Ivory Coast, who only just scraped through the group stage, bossed the opening exchanges.
    Veteran Max Gradel went close with an overhead kick into the side-netting.
    READ MORE ON FOOTBALL
    Brighton’s Simon Adingra was next to have a go, forcing keeper Stanley Nwabili into a smart stop.
    And then, in the 38th minute, Nigeria converted their first chance through William Troost-Ekong.
    Ex-England Under-21 star Ademola Lookman’s corner was flicked on to the back post where the ex-Watford defender came charging in to out-jump Serge Aurier and head home.
    Fulham defender Calvin Bassey blocked Gradel’s shot on the line after the break before Frank Kessié fluffed a diving header.
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    IVORY COAST’S ROUTE TO GLORYHow the hosts won Afcon…

    Ivory Coast 2 Guinea-Bissau 0 (Group Stage)

    Ivory Coast 0 Nigeria 1 (Group Stage)

    Equatorial Guinea 4 Ivory Coast 0 (Group Stage)

    Senegal 1 Ivory Coast 1, 4-5 pens (Last 16)

    Mali 1 Ivory Coast 2 (Quarters)

    Ivory Coast 1 DR Congo 0 (Semis)

    Nigeria 1 Ivory Coast 2 (Final)

    But Kessie made no mistake in the 62nd minute. The ex-Barcelona midfielder, now in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ahli, headed in a free-kick from Adingra.
    Haller sent an overhead kick wide before Adingra set him up for an emotional winner, poking home from close range in the 81st minute.
    Afcon chaos as goalkeeper sent off after just 17 MINUTES and fans ‘think he is playing basketball’
    Ivory Coast legend Didier Drogba celebrated in delight as he watched from the stands.
    Fellow Chelsea icon Salomon Kalou also looked on proudly from the crowd.
    And Ivorians around the world are sure to celebrate long into the night.
    It was a huge win for Ivory Coast on home soilCredit: AP
    Nigeria were left devastated by the defeatCredit: AP
    Ivory Coast had looked set to crash out at the group stageCredit: AFP
    Chelsea legend Didier Drogba celebrated wildlyCredit: Reuters
    Ivory Coast lifted the trophy on home soilCredit: AFP
    Ex-Leeds star Max Gradel (right) and striker Simon Adingra (left) kissing the trophyCredit: AFP More

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    Who is Afcon 2023 final referee Dahane Beida?

    THE Africa Cup of Nations final is upon us after a thrilling tournament in the Ivory Coast.And the refereeing team has been decided with a Mauritanian star named as the official for the big one.
    Mauritanian referee Dahane Beida is refereeing the Afcon finalCredit: AFP
    Who is Afcon final referee Dahane Beida?
    Dahane Beida is refereeing the Afcon final between Nigeria and Ivory Coast.
    Beida is a 32-year-old Mauritanian official, and was the referee for Egypt’s thrilling 2-2 draw with Mozambique in the group stage.
    That match saw Mo Salah score a dramatic 97th-minute penalty which Beida gave after a VAR call.
    Beida was also in charge of Angola’s 3-0 win over Namibia in the Last 16, in which a player from either side was sent off inside the first half.
    Angola’s goalkeeper Neblu was red carded in the 17th-minute for handling the ball outside his area, before Namibia’s Lubeni Haukongo was given a second yellow five minutes before the break.
    An Afcon statement read: “Dahane Beida, aged 32, will be the on-pitch referee for this crucial match, marking his third appearance at this year’s TotalEnergies CAF AFCON.
    “Previously, he officiated the match between Egypt and Mozambique, which ended in a 2-2 draw during the group stage, as well as the Round of 16 clash where Angola secured a 3-0 victory over Namibia.
    “Assisting Dahane Beida will be Emiliano Dos Santos from Angola and Diana Chicotesha from Zambia, Morocco’s Bouchra Karboubi will serve as the fourth official.”
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    Dahane Beida shows a red to Namibia defender Lubeni HaukongoCredit: AFP
    When is Nigeria vs Ivory Coast?

    Nigeria’s big Afcon final clash with Ivory Coast will take place on Sunday, February 11.
    The game will kick off at 8pm UK time.
    Nigeria vs Ivory Coast will be played at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

    What channel is it and can it be live streamed?

    Nigeria vs Ivory Coast will be shown live on Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Sports Football and BBC Three in the UK.
    You can live stream the action from the NOW TV or Sky Go app, both of which are available for download onto your mobile or tablet device.
    The game is also available to stream for FREE from the BBC iPlayer, so long as you have a valid TV licence. More

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    Inside Ivory Coast’s bonkers route to Afcon final, from sacking manager mid-tournament to dramatic last-gasp comebacks

    IVORY COAST’S route to the Africa Cup of Nations final has been one of the most chaotic in the history of football.The host nation were left on the brink of elimination following a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Equatorial Guinea in the final game of their group stage.
    Sebastien Haller’s goal in the semi-final against DR Congo was enough to book a place in the finalCredit: AP
    And it sparked wild scenes of celebrationCredit: Getty
    The side have come a long way since the one that were drubbed 4-0 by Equatorial GuineaCredit: AFP
    They had limped through the group stage to that point, managing a 2-0 victory in their opener against the unfancied Guinea Bissau before losing 1-0 to Nigeria in their second match – a team that were hardly pulling up trees at the time.
    But following the 4-0 calamity against Equatorial Guinea, the Elephants became one of the only sides in history to benefit from a mid-tournament new manager bounce.
    The side removed incumbent manager Jean-Louis Gasset and replaced him with his assistant, Emerse Fae as interim head coach.
    And Fae was able to immediately benefit from Afcon’s recent expansion from a 16-team tournament to a 24 team event, seeing his side qualify for the round of 16 as one of the best performing third place group stage teams.
    READ MORE ON FOOTBALL
    Fae’s first game in charge against Senegal saw Franck Kessie net a late 86th minute penalty to make it 1-1 and keep the Elephants in the tournament.
    They had trailed 1-0 for much of the game before Kessie’s strike, and then managed to hold on to win on penalties against one of the pre-tournament favourites.
    The side’s late-late show was repeated again in their quarter-final victory over Mali, when Brighton’s Simon Adingra struck a 90th minute equaliser to make it 1-1.
    Jean-Louis Gasset was sacked following the Ivory Coast’s 4-0 loss to Equatorial GuineaCredit: AFP
    He was replaced by his assistant, Emerse FaeCredit: AFP
    That was enough to force extra-time and an Oumar Diakite volley in the 122nd minute saw them win the game and advance to the semi-final.
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    Those last-gasp wins have seen fans of the Ivory Coast refer to their team as “zombies” given the team’s ability to jump back to life when appearing to be dead.
    Watch Chelsea legend Didier Drogba’s wild celebrations as Ivory Coast storm into Africa Cup of Nations final
    The “zombie” team were able to reach the final in a more straight forward manner on Wednesday, beating DR Congo 1-0 courtesy of a Sebastien Haller strike.
    Chelsea legend Didier Drogba led the wild celebrations after his nation booked their spot in the last-two at the Olympic Stadium of Ebimpé in Abidjan.
    Reflecting on his side’s unlikely route to the final, Fae said: “We are happy, we’re really moved. It’s like a dream, when you go back two weeks to the defeat here against Equatorial Guinea.
    “It was hard then to imagine that we might qualify for the final of our own Afcon.”
    Kessie, who’s late goal in the round of 16 epitomises his side’s never-say-die attitude, also reflected on his side’s run after they reached the final, saying: “As long as you still have a five or 10 per cent chance you need to keep believing, because that is what makes football beautiful.
    “After the Morocco result [which saw the Ivory Coast qualify for the knockouts as a third place team] we knew we had qualified and that changed everything. It gave us the strength we needed, it boosted us. We knew we couldn’t do worse than in the first round.
    “We need to keep going like this because you can’t go all the way to the final only to then give up.”
    Kessie’s penalty against Senegal brought The Elephants back to lifeCredit: AP
    The final will see the Ivory Coast pitted against Nigeria, who beat them 1-0 in their second group stage game back in January.
    But the team that lost that match under Gasset is not the same one that has sprung back to life under Fae, and Elephants fans will be hoping for one last unlikely victory that will see them win a coveted Afcon trophy on home soil.
    READ MORE SUN STORIES
    Looking ahead to the final with Nigeria, Fae said: “We will take stock in the next two days, we will analyse Nigeria, even though we played them in the group stage, we will see the strategy to implement for the final.”
    The Ivory Coast will take on Nigeria on Sunday at 8pm UK time. More

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    Astrid Wett begs fans for help to get to Ivory Coast for Afcon final after proving she’s ’19 per cent Nigerian’

    ASTRID WETT has begged fans to help her attend the Africa Cup of Nations final between Ivory Coast and Nigeria. It comes after the influencer claimed she was “19 per cent Nigerian”.
    Astrid Wett pleaded with fans to help her attend the Afcon finalCredit: X / AstridWett
    It comes after she declared she was 19 per cent NigerianCredit: X / AstridWett
    She asked fans whether there was any way to get around the vaccination requirements for the countryCredit: X / AstridWett
    Astrid posted an image with a piece of paper claiming to be from AncestryCredit: X / AstridWett
    Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, earlier this week, she said: “I want to go to the Afcon final but I don’t have the vaccinations ☹️.
    “Is there anyway around it? Apparently takes 10 days before you’re allowed to travel.”
    According to the Government website, a yellow fever certificate is required to travel to the Ivory Coast due to the risk of transmission in the country.
    This plea came after a post where Astrid claimed she was part Nigerian.
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    A follow-up picture showed the Chelsea supporter wearing a Nigerian football team top and holding a Nigeria flag alongside a piece of paper apparently from genealogy company Ancestry.
    The paper in question showed a breakdown of Astrid’s ethnicity in regions.
    It showed her to be 39 per cent English, 36 per cent Welsh, 19 per cent Nigerian and three per cent German.
    She also had less than a one per cent link to Italy, Spain, Belgium and highlighted previous African Caribbean migration from her family tree.
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    Astrid is a Chelsea fanCredit: Instagram @wettastrid
    She has been outspoken over the club’s poor formCredit: Instagram @wettastrid
    Astrid more than likely won’t be in attendance for Sunday’s final at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan.
    The match kicks off at 8pm UK time and is being shown on a number of UK broadcasters, including Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Sports Football and BBC Three in the UK.
    Astrid Wett travels with the Chelsea away fans to Anfield as the Blues face Liverpool
    The game is also available to stream for FREE from the BBC iPlayer, so long as you have a valid TV licence.
    Astrid recently called for Chelsea to sack manager Mauricio Pochettino.
    Meanwhile, her attendance at another game at Stamford Bridge saw her almost hit in head by a stray shot from Liverpool ace Darwin Nunez.
    She is also a regular sight on influencer boxing shows.
    Astrid is an Onlyfans modelCredit: Instagram @wettastrid
    She is also a regular on the influencer boxing sceneCredit: PA More