Tag: Cote d’Ivoire

Cote d’Ivoire have parted company with the head coach Jean-Louis Gasset after poor results at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations tournament.
The country’s football federation (FIF) announced yesterday that Gasset and his assistant were sack due to insufficient result.
“The contracts of coach Jean-Louis Gasset and his assistant Ghislain Printant are terminated due to insufficient results,” the FIF said in a statement.
Former Ivorian midfielder Emerse Faé will take charge of the team on an interim basis.
Cote d’Ivoire suffered an embarrassing 4-0 thrashing by Equatorial Guinea in their last Group A game on Monday, following a 1-0 defeat to Super Eagles of Nigeria in the second group A encounter.
It left the Elephants with just three points from three group games and reliant on results in other groups to finish among the best four third-place finishers for a place in the last 16.
Equatorial Guinea finished top of Group A with seven points, ahead of Nigeria on goal difference.
Gasset reportedly tendered his resignation to the president of the FIF, Yacine Idriss Diallo, right after the loss to Equatorial Guinea.

Read Also: AFCON: Nigeria deserved win over Cote d’Ivoire, says Peseiro

The 70-year-old coach had been in charge since 2022, when he took over from compatriot Patrice Beaumelle after the team failed to qualify for the World Cup.
Similarly, former Premier League boss Chris Hughton has been sacked by Ghana following their humiliating AFCON exit.
The Black Stars, who started the month as one of the tournament favourites, finished third in their group following a defeat against Cape Verde and draws with Egypt and Mozambique.
Victory against the latter on Monday would’ve assured qualification to the knockout stages, but Ghana let a 2-0 lead slip through their fingers by conceding twice in injury time.
With just two points from three games, the west Africans have the worst record of all third-placed sides – four of whom qualify for last-16 – and have subsequently been eliminated. Hughton, who previously managed the likes of Newcastle and Brighton, was relieved of his duties yesterday.
Hughton had been in charge of Ghana for 10 months. He took the reins in March last year following Otto Addo’s departure, having previously spent a year as technical advisor to the team. The London-born 65-year-old, who is the son of a Ghanaian postman, won just four of his 13 matches at the helm.
The Ghanaian FA released a statement which read: “Chris Hughton has been relieved of his duties with immediate effect. The executive council has also taken a decision to dissolve the technical team of the Black Stars. The GFA will in the coming days provide a roadmap on the future direction of the Black Stars.”
Previously, Hughton managed Nottingham Forest, and enjoyed a four-and-a-half year spell at Brighton before that. Elsewhere, he’s managed Norwich, Birmingham and Newcastle and had a couple of interim stints in charge of Tottenham.

Cote d’Ivoire slipped to the brink of a humiliating exit from the Africa Cup of Nations as the hosts suffered a 4-0 thrashing by Equatorial Guinea in their final Group A game in Abidjan on Monday.

Emilio Nsue scored a double to follow up his hat-trick against Guinea-Bissau as Equatorial Guinea finished top of the group ahead of Nigeria on goal difference.

Nigeria saw off Guinea-Bissau 1-0 in the group’s other game.

Cote d’Ivoire have only failed to get out of the group phase once in the previous nine editions of the tournament, in 2017.

The two-time champions will have to endure a nervy wait to find out if they will go through to the last 16 as one of the four best third-placed sides.

Read Also; Illegal miners, dredgers face sanction

Jean-Louis Gasset’s men need a series of results to go in their favour to avoid sliding out of the competition, after suffering their heaviest ever home defeat.

“I don’t think it’s because of our state of mind, when I see the players in the dressing room crying, it hurts me,” said Cote d’Ivoire coach Gasset.

“We tried, we gave everything I think. When you have a scenario like that, bordering on a nightmare, there’s not much you can say or do.”

Thousands of Ivory Coast supporters filed out of the stadium late on as Equatorial Guinea scored three goals in 15 minutes to embarrass their opponents.

“We won a match, the best four third-places go through, we will hope,” insisted Gasset.

The Ivorians started brightly but struggled to create any clear-cut chances, with Oumar Diakite’s wild effort off target after a poor punch by Equatorial Guinea goalkeeper Jesus Owono their best opportunity in the opening 25 minutes.

Nicolas Pepe appeared to be fouled in the box on the half-hour mark, but the winger decided to stay on his feet and a penalty was not given despite Owono coming out to gather the ball.

Equatorial Guinea grabbed a surprise lead with their first real attack shortly before half-time.

Right-back Carlos Akapo weaved his way past a couple of weak challenges and into the area before squaring for Nsue to divert the ball into the bottom corner.

Ibrahim Sangare briefly thought he had equalised in first-half injury time, but VAR quickly ruled the goal out for a clear offside against the Ivory Coast midfielder.

Sangare wasted an excellent chance less than two minutes after the restart, ballooning the ball high over the bar from close range with only Owono to beat at the back post.

Fiorentina forward Christian Kouame also failed to draw the home side level when face to face with Owono, firing his shot straight at the ‘keeper.

Cote d’Ivoire were again denied an equaliser in the 67th minute by VAR for offside after Jean-Philippe Krasso slotted home left-footed.

The underdogs made the Ivorians pay for their profligacy six minutes later, as Pablo Ganet curled a wonderful free-kick into the top corner.

That goal prompted many of the fans in the Alassane Ouattara Stadium to vacate the stands, and the ones who remained were left stunned when Nsue tucked away his fifth goal of the tournament after a quick counter-attack.

Cote d’Ivoire’s goal difference, which could prove crucial in the fight for qualification, took another dent with two minutes of normal time remaining, as Jannick Buyla bobbled a shot into the corner from a rebound.

Equatorial Guinea should have rubbed further salt into their opponents’ wounds in added time, but Luis Asue’s mishit strike with the goal gaping could not take the gloss off a famous victory.

Cote d’Ivoire coach Jean-Louis Gasset has described Thursday’s Africa Cup of Nations Group A match between the Elephants and the Super Eagles of Nigeria as a physical match.

Coach José Peseiro‘s team showed defensive stability as it ended a six-game run of conceding at least a goal.

Peseiro deployed a 3-4-3 formation to keep the host nation at bay and for the Super Eagles’ deadly strike force to hit their rivals on the counter.

Read Also: Reducing cost of governance (2)

Gasset, who admitted that the game was tightly contested, said his boys couldn’t show characters to play a physical game with Nigeria.

“It was a very physical match; Nigeria chose to play very low with a five-man defense to exploit counterattacks with their star striker. It was a tightly contested match. We didn’t give the impression of being able to compete physically,” Gasset said.

The Super Eagles last night  tied  at the top spot in Group A following a thrilling lone-goal victory over hosts, Côte d’Ivoire, in the second match of their AFCON journey.

Through the unwavering support of official sponsors Goldberg, Life Continental Beer, and Zagg Energy Malt Drink, the electrifying atmosphere at the Stade Olympique Alassane Ouattara resonated with the vibes and passion of millions of fans across Nigeria and beyond,

Goldberg, Life Continental, and Zagg energy drinks played a pivotal role in amplifying the fans’ frenzy.

Their live match viewing centers at Terraform restaurant in Lekki 1, Vibz Arena & Lounge in Akure, and Barbados Frigate and Bar in Festac Town provided the perfect platform for passionate fans and supporters to come together, share their passion, and witness the Super Eagles’ triumph in style.

The pre-match excitement was equally palpable, with fans eagerly making their predictions in the #OmoluabiGameOn and #NaijaGameOn comment sections.

“We are incredibly proud of the Super Eagles’ performance today,” Sandra Amachree ,Head of Marketing Communications, Nigerian Breweries Plc, said.”Their dedication and spirit truly reflect the resilience of the Nigerian people. Goldberg, Life Continental lager, and Zagg energy drink has always been a champion of Nigerian excellence, and we are thrilled to be part of this historic moment.”

Life Continental Beer, known for its unique taste and refreshing character, also played a significant role in fuelling the fans’ fervour.

Read Also: UPDATED: Eagles beat host Cote d’Ivoire 1-0

Their various activations throughout the country provided opportunities for supporters to connect, celebrate, and raise a toast to the Super Eagles’ success.

Zagg Energy Malt Drink, the invigorating malt beverage, kept the fans’ energy levels high throughout the match.

Their exciting on-ground activities and social media campaigns added to the overall excitement and fuelled the passionate support for the Super Eagles.

Together, these leading brands have continually created an unforgettable match-day experience that is helping cement the bond between players, fans, and sponsors in the pursuit of AFCON glory.

“We are incredibly proud of the Super Eagles’ stellar performance today, and their dedication, resilience, and teamwork are an inspiration to us all. We stand with them every step of the way, cheering them on as they aim to bring the trophy home,” she noted.

The journey to AFCON glory is far from over as the Super Eagles would be looking to consolidate on Thursday’s result when they face Guinea Bissau in their final group game on Monday.