Ivory coast Elephants champions of Afcon 2024
Against seemingly so many expectations from soccer fans, Ivory Coast football club, the Elephants stamped an unlikely authority in the race for the Afcon title-actually ending up as the Afcon 2024 champions. With the team displaying a rather weak start at the group stages and Round of 16, they slowly turned the tides towards them at the quarter finals, semi finals and the finals where they ended beating the Nigeria Super Eagles 2-1 in a dramatic final play off at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan.
Soccer lovers across Africa and the world at large waited with bated breath and placed bets on which team to win the title at the Africa cup of nations. The host country seemed to be inching closer to claiming the title; yes they eventually did. With the defending champions Senegal’s Lions de la Teranga being knocked out at the round of 16 by the hosts, the stared meticulously started aligning neatly for the Elephants.
Quick reflection on Performance at Afcon
Did you spare some time to closely follow the Afcon 2024 play offs in Ivory coast?If so, maybe you have a personal thought of the team whose sterling performance should have soared them to winning the title but alas! the host country, Ivory Coast that won the trophy.
Honestly speaking, many teams at Afcon put their best talent into the pitch and displayed immense resolve to emerge champions. From the opening match that pitted hosts Cote d’Ivoire against Guinea-Bissau, the play was not just entertaining but also an inspiration to emerging young talents in the continent. But, most people would have easily overwritten the Elephants as a force to reckon with in the continental tournament.
Yes, the team tried to put up a fight at every clash but that wasn’t much comparable to teams like Cape Verde, Senegal, South Africa, Morocco, Egypt or DR Congo teams. But in a fiery match that sealed the fate of Nigeria winning the title, the hosts got a double taste of joy-hosting Afcon and winning the title.
Ivory Coast to the Finals at Afcon
On Sunday 11 February 2024 at exactly 21.00hrs, all eyes focused back to The Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan. Here, the ultimate winners of the tournament emerged-surprise! surprise! It was the home team, Ivory Coast.
As much as fortunes had started favoring the Elephants plus the fact that they had home support being the hosts, still the sports betting fraternity had little expectation of them winning. Indeed, football can turn out to be super dramatic and a lot of transformation happened in the Ivory coast team that completely overturned the games.
Ardent soccer fans who also dabble up as great punters must have lost big on their bets at the Afcon quarter finals, Semi finals and finals. The Elephants stunned many who never expected them to get so far, leaving alone winning the title. But now, we have to contend with the reality of the Elephants being defining champions at the next Afcon to be held at a yet to be declared date.
Sheer luck or deserved wins
It’s very difficult to pick out any incidents of open or even hidden bias on the side of match officials at Afcon. The match officials, ably assisted by the VAR at Afcon steered the tournament so smoothly. Even punters who maybe placed a stake for a game based on assigned odd value or performances in the preceding matches can’t really blame the officials for a lost bet, if any. But then the case of Ivory coast trudging on and finally triumphing over stronger teams has come as a shocker to many.
Yes, the Ivory Coast national soccer team has won the Afcon twice before 2024 and become second position in two as well. This alone proves that this team is by no judgment an underdog. Although some may have a different opinion, the Ivory Coast team started off rather weakly.
To best judge whether Ivory coast played their best game throughout the Afcon, just check oy their performance at each clash. Right from the group stages, the team did not exude enough confidence or put out a strong fight for the title.
So many other teams performed way much better and clearly put up a convincing fight for the title. But lo and behold, all have fallen by the wayside. The unlikely Ivory coast kept limping through and finally rising like the phoenix from the ashes.
The Elephants semi finals against Nigeria’s Super Eagles
Soccer fans often enjoy soccer for incredible footwork, unmatched game formations and concentration that players put in. As the Afcon matches played on, fans enjoyed how players showcased their individual skills and collective team spirit. But at last, the number of goals scored made the Elephants triumph over the Super Eagles to the finals of Afcon.
A surprisingly feisty Ivory Coast team had in a recent previous match against DRC Congo held the opponent so strongly. In what would later decide the match, Sébastien Haller fired a weak yet decisive shot. This shot put the Ivorians on the semi finals stage.
Many will agree that the Ivory Coast versus DRC match brought out the best version of the host team. It also inspired their resolve to take down the Nigeria Super Eagles at the finals. Many could have predicted a Nigerians walk over as other stronger teams had been way eliminated. If anything, it is this game at which players showed a clear commitment to not only claim the title but also play memorable, entertaining football.
Icons of Ivory Coast team at Afcon 2023
The Ivory Coast national team boasts of a mix of talent as well as experience. Players such as Seko Fofana, Frank Kessie, and Willy Boly contributed highly to the team’s midfield creativity and defense. Seko Fofana plays for Al-Ettifaq. On the other hand, Frank Kessie plays for Al-Ahli as a midfielder. As for Willy Boly, he plays as a center-back for Premier League club Nottingham Forest.
The Elephants have been successful twice in the AFCON tournament. They won the cup in 2015 and 1992. However, in the 2023 Afcon, it seems they were the luckiest team. After becoming the 4th best number 3rd place team, Ivory Coast continued with their luck to beat the Senegalese team in the penalties.
When the Elephants met Mali, they easily added their second goal in the extra time leading to a 2-1 win over the opponent team. Oumar Diakite and Brighton & Hove Albion F.C based Simon Adingra did the scoring magic. As much as it may look like the team is lucky, the recent performance has shown that the team has the capacity to win the cup.
The team has put in so many skills, efforts as well as skills. A win can’t just be attributed to sheer luck. Football can be a really challenging sport, and it normally influenced by varied factors. Luck is just one of the factors.
Betting Tips for the Game between Ivory Coast and DRC
For the game between Ivory Coast and DRC, maybe one of the options is to try live betting. With live betting, you just put a bet after you have seen how the two teams are playing. You may also do some research on how the two teams have performed in the past.
All you need to know about Live Betting
Live betting or rather in play betting gives the bettors the chance of putting a bet when the game has already started. As I said before, you have to do some research before you place a bet. From the research you will get some statistics.
Furthermore, you need to understand momentum shifts during the game. How are the two teams performing? A change in a game gives you lots of betting opportunities. One just needs to be quick at following the changes in odds allocation, playing along and getting the desired win.
In reducing risk, you can have additional bets. Also, the additional bets may even in turn secure your profit based on the game situation. Have you heard of the cash out option? In live bet, the cash out option will give you the chance of setting your bet before the game is over.
While betting live bets, avoid impulsive bets. Please, avoid chasing losses. This is because it will make you put more money in the bets when you are not winning anything. Be patient as a bettor and wait for an opportunity to present itself.
