Abidjan’s streets erupted in joyous celebrations on Wednesday night as the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire surprisingly secured a spot in the Africa Cup of Nations Round of 16.
People of all ages and genders flooded the streets, chanting and expressing their elation at this unexpected turn of events. Despite a shocking group stage collapse, marked by a humiliating 4-0 defeat to Equatorial Guinea, the odds seemed insurmountable for the hosts.
However, Morocco played a pivotal role by defeating Zambia 1-0 in San Pedro, turning the impossible into reality. Cote d’Ivoire now advances to the knockout phase as one of the best four third-placed teams.
Before this stroke of luck, the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) had officially announced the termination of the contract of 70-year-old French coach Jean-Louis Gasset and his assistant Ghislain Printant earlier on Wednesday. Gasset, with over 35 years of coaching experience in France and Spain, had taken over in Cote d’Ivoire from Patrice Beaumelle in May 2022.
