Veteran Skipper Gradel gutsy display in semis put hero Haller into Orbit to fire "les Elephants" into dream land.

Nigeria take on Ivory Coast on Sunday as the two nations bid to become champions of Africa in the Afcon final.

Nigeria had steamrolled through most of this Africa Cup of Nations until their tense semi-final with South Africa, which went to a penalty shootout, where Leicester City’s Kelechi Iheanacho put away the winning spot-kick.

Ivory Coast, the tournament hosts, suffered a torrid start to the tournament and sacked their head coach, Jean-Louis Gasset, following a 4-0 humiliation by Equatorial Guinea. Yet they squeezed through to the knockout stages as a best third-placed team and then proceeded to knock out reigning champions Senegal, much-fancied Mali and DR Congo in the semi-finals in which veteran skipper Gradel second half gutsy display put hero Haller into orbit to fire "les Elephants" into dream land, to book their place in the final.

Nigeria are looking to secure their fourth Afcon title, while Ivory Coast would win their third if they can finish their extraordinary campaign with victory in the country’s capital, Abidjan.

Predicted line-ups

Nigeria: Nwabali, Troost-Ekong, Ajayi, Bassey, Aina, Osayi-Samuel, Onyeka, Iwobi, Simon, Lookman, Osimhen.

Ivory Coast: Fofana, Konan, Ndicka, Boly, Singo, Kessie, Seri, Seko Fofana, Adingra, Haller, Gradel.

Claude DjAQUIS Bady  - Ivorycoasttribune.online