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Emerse Fae, who replaced Jean Louis-Gasset as Ivory Coast boss mid-tournament, explains how he has turned the team's fortunes around.
In a stunning turn of events reminiscent of a biblical resurrection story, Ivory Coast's remarkable run in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations has taken the tournament by storm. Coach Emerse Fae delves into their extraordinary journey, filled with ups and downs that have kept fans on the edge of their seats.
The host nation's path to glory began with a rather rocky start. They managed to secure just one victory in regulation time, a hard-fought win in their group stage opener against Guinea Bissau.
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14:41 - 04.02.2024
AFCON 2023: Arsenal legend Emmanuel Eboue hails Ivory Coast's interim coach Emerse Fae for positivity in the team
A positive atmosphere was brought to the Elephants by interim coach Emerse Fae, according to former Ivory Coast international Emmanuel Eboue, following chaos in the dugout during the AFCON group stage.
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11:03 - 04.02.2024
AFCON 2023: Why Mali’s Nene Dorgeles refused to celebrate stunning goal against Ivory Coast
In a touching moment, Mali's Nene Dorgeles refused to celebrate a goal scored against Ivory Coast in the quarterfinal of the 2023 AFCON, here is why
However, subsequent defeats at the hands of Nigeria and a humiliating 4-0 loss to Equatorial Guinea left Ivory Coast in disarray. In response, the Ivorian Football Federation took a bold step by sacking Jean-Louis Gasset and appointing Emerse Fae as an interim coach.
The Incredible Comebacks
Despite their initial struggles, Ivory Coast clawed their way into the knockout stages as one of the four best third-place finishers. Their journey was far from over, and they were about to embark on a series of incredible comebacks that would captivate the tournament.
Their first significant test came against Senegal, the defending champions, in a nerve-wracking encounter that ended in a penalty shootout victory for Ivory Coast, eliminating the formidable Senegalese side.
The most astonishing comeback, however, unfolded during the quarter-final clash against Mali. Mali initially dominated the game and took the lead, seemingly on their way to victory. But in the 90th minute, Ivory Coast struck back, equalising the score and sending the match into extra time.
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Then, in the dying moments of extra time, Ivory Coast scored again, securing their place in the semi-finals. It was a dramatic victory, made even more impressive as they finished the match with only nine players on the field.
Coach Emerse Fae reflected on their remarkable journey, saying, "I told the players we were dead after the defeat against Equatorial Guinea, and we were resurrected after the Morocco game with Zambia. I had all the emotions running through my head, trying to reflect to see the ideal substitutions.
When you reach the semi-finals, you play with teams of high quality, so we are going to prepare ourselves."
With two Africa Cup of Nations titles already under their belt, Ivory Coast now faces the Democratic Republic of Congo in the semi-finals on February 7. As they gear up for this crucial match, they will also keep a keen eye on the clash between South Africa and Nigeria, as the winner of that tie will advance to the final.
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