BY: AYOBAMI ATANDA.

The Elephant of Cote d’Ivoire defeated the Super Eagles of Nigeria 2 – 1 on Sunday at Stade Alassane Ouattara-Ebimpé in Abijan.

The host country put in a mouthwatering performance at the African Cup of Nations final to lift their third cup regarding the biggest football competition in Africa. F. Kessie had cancelled Troost Ekong’s 38th-minute header before Sebastian Haller secured the victory for the Elephant in the 81st-minute of action.

Recall that the Elephant faced fierce criticism after a round of shabby displays during the group stage matches, which made them wait till the last group match before they could qualify as one of the four best losers. However, they went ahead defeating Mali, DR Congo and Nigeria who had only conceded two goals before the final.

The Elephants’ victory over the Super Eagles made them a three-time winner of AFCON. They now have the same AFCON trophies with Nigeria.