The Ivorian side were eliminated from the global showpiece after falling to a 2-1 defeat to Norway in the Round of 32.

Diallo opened the scoring for Ivory Coast before goals from Antonio Nusa and Erling Haaland secured the win for Norway at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

The Manchester United winger added that finding the net on football’s biggest stage is a moment he will cherish forever.

“We are really proud of what we achieved,” said Diallo to FIFA.

“We are the youngest team in this competition, so we can feel really proud. We had played in three tournaments before and never got past the group stage, so we’ve achieved that.

“It’s a big thing to score that goal because it’s a dream come true.

“I always dreamed to play on the biggest stage, so scoring this goal was something crazy. At the end, even if you lose, it’s a win also.”

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The Norwegians qualified for the last 16 for the first time in 28 years after they beat Cote d’Ivoire 2-1 thanks to goals from Antonio Nusa and Haaland at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

Norway will shift their focus to the last 16 when they take on Brazil at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Sunday.

Haaland believes the pressure is off and insists everything from here on is an added bonus for Norway.

“It’s history, it feels unbelievable,” Haaland told FIFA.

“We managed to qualify for the first time in 28 years, we managed to go through the group stage and now we’ve managed to go through to the next round and meet Brazil in New York.

“It’s incredible, so now everything is a bonus. Now we can play with our shoulders down and just enjoy it because I don’t think we’ll ever have this feeling again.”

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WATCH: Ex-Chelsea star Salomon Kalou visit Chiefs Village

Former Côte d'Ivoire and Chelsea forward Salomon Kalou's visit to the Kaizer Chiefs Village ❤️✌🏼 #Amakhosi4Life pic.twitter.com/ZWnrjjElOZ

— Kaizer Chiefs (@KaizerChiefs) November 6, 2025

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Mamelodi Sundowns, Orlando Pirates and Stellenbosch FC have been nominated for the Club of the Year award, while Bafana Bafana are nominated for the National Team of the Year.

Orlando Pirates captain Mbekezeli Mbokazi and Queens Park Rangers defender Tylon Smith were nominated for the Young Player of the Year award.

Bafana Bafana and Mamelodi Sundowns captain Ronwen Williams is nominated for the Goalkeeper of the Year award alongside

Meanwhile, Liverpool star Mohamed Salah, Achraf Hakimi of PSG, Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen and Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye are nominated for the Player of the Year award.

Full List Of Nominees:

Club of the Year: Mamelodi Sundowns, Orlando Pirates, Stellenbosch FC, CR Belouizdad, CS Constantine, AEC Mimosas, Pyramids FC, RS Berkane, Al Hilal SC, Simba SC.

National Team of the Year (Men): South Africa, Algeria, Cape Verde, Cote D’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco U20, Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia.

Young Player of the Year (Men): Mbekezile Mbokazi, Tylon Smit, Asharaf Tapsoba, Alynho Naidara, Nhad Sadiki, Abdellah Ouazane, Houssam Essadak, Othmane Maamma, Daniel Bamyi, Momoh Kamara.

Coach of the Year (Men): Bubista, Hossam Hassan, Krundslav, Sami Trabelisi, Romuald Rakotondrabe, Moine Chaabani, Tarik Sektioui, Mohamed Ouahbi, Walid Regragui, Pape Thiaw.

Interclub Player of the Year (Men): Ismail Belkacemi, Blati Toure, Issoufou Dayo, Fiston Mayele, Emam Ashour, Ibrahim Adel, Mahamed Hrimat, Mohamed Chibi, Oussama Lamlioui, Shomari Kapombe.

Goalkeeper of the Year (Men): Ronwen Williams, Andre Onana, Vozinha, Ahmed El Shenawy, Munir Mohamedi, Yassine Bounou, Stanley Nwabali, Edouard Mendy, Marc Diouf, Aymen Dahmen.

Player of the Year (Men): Frank Anguissa, Fiston Mayele, Mohamed Salah, Denis Bouanga, Serhou Guirassy, Achraf Hakimi, Oussama Lamlioui, Victor Osimhen, Iliman Ndiaye, Pape Matar Sarr.

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That is the assessment of Mfundo Ndhlovu, the most experienced player in the squad, as they prepare to take on Nigeria, Zambia and Burkina Faso in their Pool B fixtures on Saturday. The tournament will be played at Labourdonnais Sports Club in Port Louis.

Ndhlovu, who made his Blitzbok debut in 2018, is amongst a handful of players in the SA side who also played in last year’s event, when it consisted of two tournaments at the same venue.

“On a personal level, I am looking forward to just play rugby in a beautiful country and just enjoy and express myself,” said Ndhlovu.

“Doing so with a Springbok badge on the chest is even better, but it does add responsibility and commitment to the task, because the commitment to the team comes first.”

As they experienced last year, the South Africans will be the biggest fish to fry for the other teams, but Ndhlovu said they are ready to overcome that: “That Springbok badge makes you a target for sure, but that is fine, we know what is coming in that regard. You don’t need to overthink that part, if you stick to the plan and implement the processes, the results will look after itself.”

Ndhlovu is also excited about the new talent in the squad that Blitzbok head coach Philip Snyman had assembled.

“They are all talented players, and I can see many of them getting on the circuit and doing well,” he predicted.

Another returnee to the tournament is Sebastiaan Jobb, with the speedster using this event a year ago to remind Snyman that he should feature in his plans for the 2025 season. He laid down a marker by being named Player of the Tournament in both tournaments.

“Yes, that certainly helped in getting my Blitzbok career going again and that is one of the reasons why I am happy to be back here,” said Jobb.

“The African opponents are going to be a handful, we learned that lesson last year when Uganda outplayed us in both tournaments.”

Jobb was red carded twice during the 2025 HSBC SVNS season and is eager to implement his adjusted tackle technique this weekend in match conditions: “I have worked hard on that at training and the coaches worked with me to get that aspect right. Although, as a wing, I love to run with the ball in open spaces, defence will be a huge focus for me this weekend.”

Jobb paid a heavy price for his indiscretions when he missed the Grand Finale in Los Angeles due to suspension and missed out on the Blitzboks being crowned World Champions: “It was a huge price to pay, but that is how you learn. I am also trying to improve as an individual as that will benefit the team and make the system better.”

He also had some advice to the new players in the squad: “They have an ideal opportunity here to learn and grow and I believe they will be embracing that, adding to the team effort.”

Pools:
A: Uganda, Kenya, Cote D’Ivoire, Ghana
B: South Africa, Burkina Faso, Zambia, Nigeria
C: Madagascar, Zimbabwe, Tunisia, Mauritius

Springbok Sevens ‘A’ pool fixtures – Saturday 21 June (SA times):
08h06: Nigeria
10h50: Zambia
13h34: Burkina Faso

Springbok Sevens ‘A’ squad (with HSBC SVNS stats):
Masande Mtshali – 8 tournaments, 10 points (2 tries)
Jayden Nell *
Gideon van Wyk *
Ntshika Fisanti *
Ricardo Duarttee – 19 tournaments, 296 points (23 tries, 89 conversions, 1 penalty goal)
Joubert Schoeman *
Grant de Jager *
Ezekiel Ngobeni *
Rowan Malgas *
Joel Leotlela *
Sebastiaan Jobb – 4 tournaments, 15 points (3 tries)
Mfundo Ndhlovu – 19 tournaments, 125 points (25 tries)
* uncapped

Issued by SA Rugby Communications

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The draw for the group stages took place at the Mohammed V National Theatre in Rabat, Morocco.

The nations were drawn into six groups comprising of four teams, with the tournament taking place between 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026.

South Africa have been drawn in Group B alongside the likes of Egypt, Angola and Zimbabwe.

Hugo Broos’ men will be looking to better their feat in the AFCON after they secured the bronze medal at the previous tournament.

AFCON Group Stage draw in full:

GROUP A: Morocco, Mali, Zambia, Comoros
GROUP B: Egypt, South Africa, Angola, Zimbabwe
GROUP C: Nigeria, Tunisia, Uganda, Tanzania
GROUP D: Senegal, DR Congo, Benin, Botswana
GROUP E: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Sudan
GROUP F: Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Gabon, Mozambique

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At the Ebimpe Olympic Stadium, Nigeria appeared to be headed for another 1-0 group stage triumph over the Ivorians when captain William Troost-Ekong, who had scored a penalty to settle the first meeting, lifted his head in the first half.

But soon after the hour, Franck Kessie equalised, and in the 81st minute, Haller converted Simon Adingra’s cross, setting off wild celebrations among the sea of orange in the Abidjan stands.

With this victory, Ivory Coast can now add the Cup of Nations trophy to the ones they won in 1992 and 2015 and join Nigeria on three victories overall.

Over the past month, the Nigerian team, led by Osimhen, the current African player of the year, has appeared to be the most fearsome side in the game.

Ivory Coast became the first host nation to win the AFCON since 2006, but their feeling of destiny was just too strong.

18 years ago, Didier Drogba led the Elephants squad that fell to Egypt in the final on penalties in Cairo. This time, he was one of the spectators to watch his nation pull off an incredible victory.

“It is greater than a fairytale,” said coach Emerse Fae, who took over a stricken team mid-tournament.

“I am struggling to take it all in. When I think about all we have been through, the difficult moments, moments when we were behind, when we came back in the last minute of games.

“We are miracle survivors.”

It is a remarkable accomplishment for a team that, following their 4-0 loss to Equatorial Guinea on January 22, was almost eliminated from the group stage.

Following their most severe home loss to date, the Ivorians fired coach Jean-Louis Gasset and brought in Fae, Drogba’s 2006 colleague.

After that, they started an incredible comeback that saw them defeat Mali with a last-minute goal in extra time, eliminate holders Senegal on penalties, and defeat DR Congo thanks to a goal from Haller in the last four.

The stadium could only hold 60,000 spectators due to the large number of their followers, forcing many of them to watch from vantage points on stairways.

It may have been argued, by anyone wishing to temper expectations, that Cup of Nations finals are typically low-scoring matches.

In the previous 11 finals, just 10 goals were scored; five of those ended in penalties following a scoreless draw.

In fact, the last four final appearances by Ivory Coast had all finished in a draw before advancing to penalties, which they had won two of them.

Early on, it appeared that this would be another nerve-wracking, low-scoring match with very few opportunities.

But in minute 34, Nigerian custodian Stanley Nwabali denied a fantastic chance for the home team when Kessie found Adingra on the left.

That proved to be crucial because four minutes later, Troost-Ekong headed in from the edge of the six-yard box after Ademola Lookman’s corner from the left was touched on.

In a situation like this earlier in the competition, the Ivorians would have collapsed, but they deserve a lot of credit for rallying and going all out against Nigeria.

Five minutes after the restart, Calvin Bassey stopped Max-Alain Gradel’s netbound attempt in front of the line, and on minute sixty-two, Nwabali deflected a long-range piledriver from Odilon Kossounou around the post.

With a corner that followed, they levelled the score thanks to an appearance at the back post by Kessie, whose late penalty had saved the hosts against Senegal in the round of 16.

With nine minutes remaining in the match, Haller got his studs to Adingra’s cross and redirected the ball into the far corner, resulting in the second goal for the Ivory Coast. It seemed inevitable that this would happen.

For the first time since their first game, Nigeria was behind, and Ivory Coast held on to win.

“Ivory Coast were better than us today,” admitted Nigeria coach Jose Peseiro.

“I am sad, my team is sad, but for me they did the maximum, each one. Sometimes you want to do something but you cannot do it.”

Photo by Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix

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In the 65th minute at the Ebimpe Olympic Stadium, Borussia Dortmund striker Haller made his tournament debut after suffering an injury. His shot looped over the custodian and in. Haller connected with a cross from Max-Alain Gradel.

That was sufficient to end a heated but competitive semifinal match; the Ivorians will now play Nigeria at the same location on Sunday to determine the winner.

The two-time champions are the first host nation to make it to the Cup of Nations final since Egypt did so in 2006, and their incredible comeback from almost elimination in the group stage is truly astounding.

“It gives us immense pleasure to qualify for the final of a home AFCON, especially after the run that you all know we have had. We are so happy and so moved,” said midfielder Franck Kessie.

DR Congo, on the other hand, suffered a heartbreaking loss. Ever since they emerged victorious as Zaire in 1974, they had dreamed of making their debut in an AFCON final.

On the eve of this match, Ivory Coast’s own temporary coach Emerse Fae, who took over for the fired Jean-Louis Gasset after disastrous group stage results, called the team’s run “miraculous”.

This was their first game at the Ebimpe Olympic Stadium on the dusty outskirts of Abidjan since they were humiliated and on the verge of elimination following a 4-0 loss by Equatorial Guinea on January 22.

As the final squad standing in third place, the Elephants just made it to the round of16, when they were eliminated by holders Senegal thanks to penalties.

They then defeated Mali in the quarter-finals, even though they only had ten men for the majority of the game. Their victory came in extra time.

“The 4-0 I think acted as a trigger for us, because that defeat hurt so much,” Kessie said.

“We knew it was going to be difficult to get through to the next round. It seemed it was going to be a fiasco, but we got lucky and were saved.

“After that we felt we had nothing to lose and everything to win.”

Oumar Diakite, who won the match against Mali, was suspended in this instance, along with Christian Kouame, Odilon Kossounou, and captain Serge Aurier.

One of the players joining was Haller, the forward with magical powers who was at last totally fit.

In their most recent semifinal match in 2015, the Ivorians had defeated the DR Congo 3-1, and they were seeking revenge.

Their players’ will to bring attention to the predicament of the millions of Congolese impacted by the conflict in the country’s east has motivated them throughout this competition.

With one hand covering their mouths and the other to simulate a rifle aiming at their heads, the Congo squad demonstrated during the playing of the national anthem.

“It was a message of support for the victims, to show what is happening in the east. We had to shine a light on it,” said Congolese coach Sebastien Desabre.

The ball was in the net for the Leopards in the ninth minute after a strong start.

The ball was knocked past custodian Yahia Fofana by Cedric Bakambu and into the net, but the Libyan referee disallowed the goal due to a foul.

The Ivorians had the best opportunities of the first half when, in the fortyth minute, Haller rose unmarked in the box and somehow headed wide from Wilfried Singo’s cross.

After after, Kessie struck the post with a shot, and shortly before the hour, he threatened once more, forcing goalie Lionel Mpasi to make a save.

Not long later, Haller swung his leg in expectancy rather than hope as Gradel held up a cross from the right, and the breakthrough was achieved.

Although there was not much contact, the ball rebounded into the ground, looped over the defenceless Mpasi’s head, and entered.

There were wild festivities and Fae was jumping around in his special area.

Haller had more opportunities to extend the lead, but one goal was sufficient, and as the final whistle blew, a thunderous cheer was heard.

Photo by Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix

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In Yamoussoukro, a thrilling last-16 match ended 1-1 after extra time. Senegal’s Habib Diallo scored after four minutes, and France’s Franck Kessie tied the game with a penalty four minutes before the end of regular time.

It was Kessie who saved the penalty kick in the shootout after Moussa Niakhate hit the post with the third Senegalese penalty.

It was the seventh time in a row that the holders of the Cup of Nations lost. Since Egypt in 2008, no team has been able to defend their title past the round of 16.

Even though the host country lost badly to Equatorial Guinea 4-0 last Monday, fans still lined up in the middle of the night to buy tickets in the central city.

After the record-setting loss at home, French coach Jean-Louis Gasset was fired. The Elephants then tried to bring back former coach Herve Renard but failed, so they promoted assistant Emerse Fae.

In the west African showdown, the 16 qualifiers from the group stage were matched up against the best and worst teams.

Senegal easily beat Gambia, Cameroon, and Guinea to win Group D. They were the only team in their section to make it to the next round, with a perfect nine points.

Ivory Coast only got three points because they lost to Nigeria and had a goal difference of -3, but they still made it as the last of the four best third-placed teams.

Fae made five changes to the team that played Equatorial Guinea in the first game. Serge Aurier, Odilon Kossounou, Jean Michael Seri, Max-Alain Gradel, and Jean-Philippe Krasso were all given more playing time.

Even though Senegal beat Guinea 2-0 in their last group game, they changed three players in the starting lineup. Moussa Niakhate, Abdou Diallo, and Lamine Camara all came in.

Ivory Coast didn’t want to give up an early goal because they were already mentally weak, but Habib Diallo scored his second goal of the AFCON within four minutes, putting them behind.

When Sadio Mane crossed the ball, Diallo controlled it with his chest and then fired a high shot past Youssef Fofana in goal.

Five minutes later, the Gabonese referee gave Mane a yellow card for a careless tackle on Ibrahim Sangare. Sangare returned to the game after getting treatment on and off the field.

The Ivorians were much better than they were in their last game. They slowly took control, but their opponents fought back by pulling all 10 outfield players back when they were under pressure.

The defending champions were under a lot of pressure in the first half, but they finished strong without being able to extend their lead.

As the last quarter began, the game was still very close. Ivory Coast had more of the ball, but Senegal looked like they were more likely to score because Ismaila Sarr’s shot was blocked and an appeal for a penalty was turned down.

The crowd was excited when Sebastien Haller came on, since he had been hurt and missed the group stage. Mane took a shot from close range that just missed the target.

When the Ivorians chose route one, Nicolas Pepe, a substitute, made a great save off of Edouard Mendy, the Senegal custodian.

But Senegal finally scored in the 86th minute when Mendy fouled Pepe. After a VAR review, the referee changed his mind about not awarding a penalty, and Franck Kessie calmly made the goal.

Mane, who has won two African Player of the Year awards, had a shot blocked by Fofana just before half.

Photo by Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix

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Ten minutes into the second half at the Ebimpe Olympic Stadium in Abidjan, Captain Troost-Ekong of the Greek club PAOK scored from the spot after Victor Osimhen’s foul was flagged for a foul after a VAR check.

The Super Eagles began their AFCON bid with a 1-1 draw against Equatorial Guinea, but they held on to claim their first win in Group A in front of a wild crowd.

“Our team was better and for that we won, but Ivory Coast is a good team. They lost the match because that can happen,” said Nigeria coach Jose Peseiro, whose decision to play with three central defenders paid off.

“Today I said to my players it is normal that you score at least one goal, so if you don’t suffer a goal, you win.”

At the top of the section, Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria are tied on four points, followed by Ivory Coast on three, and Guinea-Bissau is out after losing its first two games.

To guarantee a top-two finish, Nigeria only needs to avoid losing to Guinea-Bissau, which they previously lost to 4-2 to Equatorial Guinea.

There is room for error because the top four teams in each of the six groups will go to the round of 16, but Ivory Coast needs to defeat Equatorial Guinea in their final game on Monday to ensure advancement.

“A little detail, a penalty, which I wouldn’t call contentious but was just a little kick on the calf of Nigeria’s best player, is what meant we lost the game,” said Ivorian coach Jean-Louis Gasset.

“I have confidence in this team, but I know they are young and they are tender.

“We are going to win the match on Monday.”

49,517 fans attended this game, which was much larger than the crowd for the hosts’ opening game, which was controversial due to the large number of empty seats at the 60,000-seat stadium.

The Elephants are the first host country to lose an AFCON group stage match since Equatorial Guinea lost 1-0 to Zambia in 2012, despite the positive atmosphere.

In 2017, Gabon became the last host country to be eliminated in the first round after three draws.

Star forward Sebastien Haller of Ivory Coast is still out due to injury, and Nigeria started with a three-man central defence after Calvin Bassey of Fulham replaced the injured Alhassan Yusuf in midfield.

As three-time champions Nigeria were unable to muster a shot on target in the first half, Osimhen, the African footballer of the year, led the attack and blazed a fine chance over the bar early on.

Moments later, Stanley Nwabili of Ivory Coast denied Christian Kouame, and the Nigerian custodian also stopped a strong long-range effort by Seko Fofana.

Both teams’ performance in the last third was disappointing, and the game ultimately depended on the early second-half penalty call.

Following his capture by Ivorian defender Ousmane Diomande, Osimhen remained on the ground; the Algerian referee, having examined the pitchside monitor, awarded a spot-kick.

Defender Troost-Ekong stepped up to take the penalty, beating Yahia Fofana with a strong strike down the middle, just as he did in the 2022 World Cup qualifying play-off against Ghana.

Following that, Nigeria managed to hold on for nine extra minutes to win the first AFCON match between the two teams since a quarterfinal in 2013, the year they last won the trophy.

Photo by Gavin Barker/BackpagePix

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