The hosts have been on quite a roll as of late, with just two weeks passing since they fired head coach Jean-Louis Gasset after a 4-0 humiliation at the hands of Equatorial Guinea. Under Emerse Fae’s leadership, the Elephants have been unstoppable and seem to be on a mission. The same was held on Wednesday as well.

The match got off to a crazy start when Cedric Bakambu of the Congo scored from a cross by Arthur Masuaku after goalkeeper Yahia Fofana made a mistake. Unfortunately for the away team, the goal was disallowed due to a foul on the goalkeeper.

After that, Fae’s charges began to gain momentum and played well in the second half. Former Barcelona player Franck Kessie rifled a low effort from the outside of the Congo penalty box, but the woodwork blocked it. Haller also squandered a golden opportunity while unmarked.

In the 65th minute, Haller scored a fantastic goal to put the Elephants ahead, rewarding Ivory Coast for their persistent pressure. Five minutes later, the Borussia Dortmund forward had a golden opportunity to extend his team’s lead thanks to a terrible defensive header by Kalulu. Ivory Coast advanced to the final match against the Super Eagles despite Congo’s best efforts to rally.

Haller came through for his country when his supporters in Ivory Coast needed a hero the most. The forward had a lackluster first half and squandered a great chance to put the game away in the dying minutes of the half. After halftime, however, he showed signs of improvement and posed a danger from above the Congo box. And it was a flash of brilliance allowed him to score the tournament’s opening goal from a half-chance.

The responsibility for Congo’s departure lies squarely on Gedeon Kalulu’s shoulders. Because of the defensive lapses the Lorient shows right back, Congo lost out on a spot in the playoffs. Kalulu paid a heavy price for his ill-advised cross-flight judgment, which cost him Haller. In the 72nd minute, the 26-year-old almost gave Haller the easy way to score both goals when he failed to clear his lines with a defensive header. Things might have gone worse for him.

The responsibility for Congo’s departure lies squarely on Gedeon Kalulu’s shoulders. Because of the defensive lapses the Lorient shows right back, Congo lost out on a spot in the playoffs. Kalulu paid a heavy price for his ill-advised cross-flight judgment, which cost him Haller. In the 72nd minute, the 26-year-old almost gave Haller the easy way to score both goals when he failed to clear his lines with a defensive header. Things might have gone worse for him.

In the 2023 AFCON final, Ivory Coast will face Victor Osimhen’s Nigeria. Fae hopes his team can continue their incredible run in Sunday’s match at the Olympic Stadium of Ebimpe, as they are the first hosts to reach the final since Egypt in 2006.