“Super Eagles Were Overwhelmed”: Odegbami Notes Why Nigeria Lost AFCON Final

• Segun Odegbami says the Super Eagles were overwhelmed by the Ivorian fans
• Nigeria lost the Africa Cup of Nations final 2-1 to Ivory Coast on Sunday night
• 60,000 spectators watched the final match at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium

Former Nigeria international, Segun Odegbami, has blamed Nigeria’s loss to Ivory Coast in the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations to the tremendous support received by the Elephants by their supporters.

William Troost-Ekong had given Nigeria the lead in the first half, but two second-half goals from Franck Kessie and Sebastian Haller completed a turnaround to hand Ivory Coast a crucial 2-1 victory.

Speaking exclusively to Sports Brief after the final, Odegbami noted the Super Eagles tried their best but were overwhelmed by the 60,000 supporters in the stands cheering for the Elephants.

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“It’s unfortunate we allowed the occasion to overwhelm us. The support that the Ivorians received only from the strong-hearted footballer can withstand it. Our boys succumbed to all the pressure that they were under.

“The whole country was here either spiritually or physically, it was going to be a tough battle to overcome that. The support was tremendous.”

The 60,000-capacity Alassane Ouattara Stadium, the venue for the AFCON final, was packed full, with Ivory Coast president Alassane Ouattara, who was also present to support the Elephants.

Adingra wins AFCON final MOTM award

Meanwhile, Ivory Coast’s Simon Adingra has won the man-of-the-match award in the team’s 2-1 victory over the Super Eagles in the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday, Complete Sports reports.

The Brighton winger showed some trickery on the left flank and delivered a cross into the penalty box, which Sebastien Haller got to the end of the cross and scored with an acrobatic finish.

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Adinkra disturbed the Nigerian defence with his pacy runs on the left flank, as his trickery with the ball created space and chances for the Ivorian attack all through the game.

Nigeria’s AFCON dream dashed again

Earlier, Sports Brief reported Nigeria's hopes for a fourth Africa Cup of Nations title were dashed as Ivory Coast mounted a remarkable comeback to overcome the Super Eagles in the Grand Finale at the Stade Alassane Ouattara.

Midfielder Franck Kessie cancelled out William Troost-Ekong's early goal before Sebastien Haller scored the winning goal, assisted by Simon Adingra.

Jose Peseiro's significant dependence on a defensive-first philosophy resulted in the Super Eagles frequently being on the back foot, limiting their ability to create scoring opportunities.