Head coach of the Elephants of Cote d’voire, Emerse Fae, believes his team is on par with the Super Eagles of Nigeria ahead of their final showdown in the Africa Cup of Nations.
After a 0-4 trashing by Equatorial Guinea in their final group phase game, many thought the Elephants had been eliminated. But Hakim Ziyech’s goal days later eliminated Zambia and sneaked the Elephants into the knock-out rounds, where they have prospered to the final.
“The fact that Nigeria had beaten us is a good thing because we know whom we are up against. The manner in which we prepare for the match with our players is critical. I think that the Super Eagles and ourselves are at the same level,” he said.
“We have a great opportunity tomorrow; we are 90 minutes away from adding a third star to the Ivorian jersey. The teams are on equal footing, psychologically. As the competition has progressed, the Nigerian team has gained strength. We had a very difficult journey at the beginning, but we gained momentum from the round of 16 against Senegal.”
“Like any high-level match, like any final, it will come down to the details. We will be patient. We will not rush. We will focus on starting the match well and be patient in order to unsettle them.”
The game will take place on Sunday night at the 60,000 -capacity Stade Olympique Alassane Ouattara in Ebimpé at 9pm Nigerian time.
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