Ivory Coast won their third AFCON title on Sunday night and Ivory Coast players celebrated uniquely as they did the ‘Siuu’ celebration to pay homage to Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ivory Coast vs Nigeria: A nail-biting finish
Côte d’Ivoire defeated Nigeria 2-1 in a thrilling final in the Olympic Stadium of Ebimpé. The hosts came back from behind to secure their third AFCON. Captain William Troost-Ekong gave Nigeria the lead with a fantastic headed goal in minute 38. After the goal, Ivory Coast dominated most of the game as they tried to break Nigeria’s strong defense down.
Nigeria soon fell back into a compact defensive shape to deny Ivory Coast’s attack. But midfielder Franck Kessié had other plans. The ex-Barcelona man equalized with a bullet header in minute 62 after a phase of pure dominance. Ivory Coast continued to pressurize the Nigerian defense, and Sebastian Haller’s skillful finish sealed the comeback for the hosts. The full-time whistle saw the Ivorians burst into massive celebrations and also pay homage to football legend Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ivory Coast ‘Siuu’ to AFCON victory
Perhaps the most influential man on planet Earth, Cristiano Ronaldo found himself being honored yet again as Ivorian players jumped into the ‘siuu’ celebration following their sensational victory against Nigeria. Ivory Coast players started the ‘Siuu’ celebration trend in the knockouts after their extra-time victory against Mali.
Continuing the trend in the final, players Oumar Diakité and Karim Konaté, did the iconic Marcelo-Ronaldo handshake before bursting out the ‘Siuu’ celebration after full-time. The celebration was followed by a fun-spirited dance with the Ivory Coast and Chelsea legend Didier Drogba. As CR7 inches closer to the twilight of his career, it is safe to say that Al Nassr’s Cristiano Ronaldo continues to have an unreal influence on soccer.
Also Read: AFCON 2023 Awards- Ivory Coast becomes champions; William Troost-Ekong wins Player of the Tournament