AFCON Nigeria versus Cote d’Ivoire: Again two opponents at group stage meet in the final

Joseph Irikefe

Cote d’Ivoire beat Congo DR 1-0 to get to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations. They will now meet Nigeria  in the final match on Sunday.  Both teams had met in the group stages. It will be the fourth time Nigeria will be facing a team they met at the group stage in the final.

It happened in 1988 when they drew 1-1 with Cameroon in Group B at Rabat and then face the same team in the final match.

They played Algeria in the group match in 1990 and again in the final.

They did the same in 2013 when they faced Burkina Faso at the group stage and then in the final match.

For Cote d’Ivoire, they become the second team after Nigeria to lose by a four goal margin at the group stage and then get to the title match.

Nigeria lost 5-1 to Algeria at the group stage and then navigated to the final to play Algeria again. Cote d’Ivoire lost 4-0 at the group stage and are now in the final.