Didier Drogba, Ivory Coast Players in Disbelief As Host Nation AFCON Dream Suffers Crushing Blow

• Ivory Coast's 2023 Africa Cup of Nations dream suffered a crushing blow
• The hosts were hammered by the Nzalang Nacional of Equatorial Guinea
• Emilio Nsue continued his brilliant goalscoring run for Juan Micha’s side

Ivory Coast's Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) journey came to a disappointing conclusion as the host nation suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Equatorial Guinea.

The match, held at the Stade Alassane Ouattara in front of an enthusiastic crowd supporting Les Elephants, was anticipated to feature a statement comeback by Jean-Louis Gasset's team following their distressing loss to Nigeria's Super Eagles. However, the outcome did not unfold as the 60,000 spectators had envisioned.

The host nation started the game with a flurry of scoring opportunities, seeking to capitalise on the early wave of support from their fans. However, goalkeeper Jesus Owono proved insurmountable on the night.

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The match continued in a similar fashion until former Cadiz defender Carlos Akapo connected with forward Emilio Nsue in the box, giving Juan Micha's side the lead against the run of play.

Ivory Coast believed they had found a perfect response when Ibrahim Sangare hit the back of the net. Unfortunately, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) ruled the Nottingham Forest midfielder offside, dealing a blow to Les Elephants.

Undeterred, the two-time AFCON winners persisted in their relentless attacking style and eventually found the net through Jean-Philippe Krasso. However, VAR once again denied Ivory Coast a much-needed equaliser.

As the game progressed and the Nzalang Nacional's defence proved formidable, desperation set in, prompting coach Gasset to make a series of attacking changes in the hope of securing a crucial equaliser.

Regrettably, the septuagenarian's decision came at a significant cost, opening the floodgates for Equatorial Guinea's goals. Midfielder Pablo Ganet scored a long-range free-kick to compound the Ivorians' woes. Two minutes later, tournament top-scorer Nsue doubled his tally following lacklustre defending from the hosts. In the 88th minute, substitute Jannick Buyla Sam delivered the final blow, sealing a devastating defeat for the host nation.

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The result, met with disbelief by many, including Ivory Coast legend Didier Drogba, relegated the host nation to third spot and diminished their chances of qualifying as best losers due to a substantial goal difference deficit.

Conversely, with seven points, Equatorial Guinea topped the standings ahead of Nigeria's Super Eagles on goal difference.

Super Eagles icon makes AFCON prediction

In another report, Sports Brief stated that former Super Eagles goalkeeper, Dosu Joseph, provided his predictions for the AFCON in Ivory Coast.

The 50-year-old stressed that Jose Peseiro’s side would secure the trophy at the tournament and also hinted that marquee forward, Victor Osimhen, would be crowned as the tournament's Most Valuable Player (MVP).