Ivory Coast has swiftly turned the page on the shocking loss to Equatorial Guinea in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) group stage and is now aiming for glory after eliminating defending champions Senegal in the last 16 on Monday.
The hosts endured a humiliating 4-0 defeat to Equatorial Guinea in their final group game, leaving them in suspense for three days before confirmation that they had secured a spot in the knockout stages as one of the four best third-placed finishers.
During this period of uncertainty, the Ivorian Football Federation took decisive action by dismissing 70-year-old coach Jean-Louis Gasset and appointing his assistant, Emerse Fae, as the new helm.
Striker Sebastian Haller, who made a second-half substitute appearance on Monday due to an ankle injury, acknowledged the challenging days leading up to the confirmation of their progression.
“The last days were tough for us. We have opened the door and given ourselves a chance. We can forget now about what happened in the group stage,” remarked the Borussia Dortmund striker.
Despite conceding an early goal in the match against Senegal, the Ivorians displayed resilience, holding their opponents to a 1-1 draw before clinching victory in a shootout.
Midfielder Seko Fofana reflected on the difficulty of witnessing the emotional aftermath of their defeat to Equatorial Guinea, stating, “It was difficult to see the people crying after that loss, but we’ve made up for that now, and so we’re all very happy.”
Fae, who lacks previous experience as a senior coach, made key decisions, including dropping influential midfielder Franck Kessie. However, Kessie was brought on in the last 20 minutes, contributing to the Ivorians’ comeback with an 86th-minute equalizer.
“We had a strategy in place, and the changes came at the right time. The new coach worked very well,” praised Fofana.
Acknowledging the challenging circumstances of taking over the team, Fae received credit for his efforts. “It was tough for him to take over, and he couldn’t change much in a few days,” acknowledged Fofana. Despite the coaching change, the players also expressed gratitude for the work done by Gasset.
“It was a shame what happened to him, and we’re all responsible. Now we must stay humble. There are no easy opponents in the tournament, and we are a long way from achieving anything yet,” cautioned Haller.
As the Ivorians await the outcome of Tuesday’s draw, they will discover their quarter-final opponent, with the possibilities being Burkina Faso or Mali, as they continue their quest for AFCON glory.
