ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, Feb 7 – After drama aplenty in the quarter-finals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, including a 122nd-minute winner and a goalkeeper saving four penalties in a shoot-out, Wednesday’s semi-finals in Ivory Coast have much to live up to.
Hosts Ivory Coast have never won the title on home soil – triumphing in Senegal in 1992 and Equatorial Guinea in 2015 – but must overcome unbeaten DR Congo (11pm) if they are to reach Sunday’s final in Abidjan.
According to midfielder Franck Kessie “a ghost cannot be afraid”, and the near-dead Ivorians have shown unbelievable spirit when scoring late equalisers against Senegal and Mali in the last 16 and quarter-finals respectively.
All three Ivorian goals in the knock-outs have come from substitutes.
“We won’t be this lucky all the time, but it’s important to know that those on the bench can also contribute,” said interim coach Emerse Fae, ahead of the Elephants’ return to the Alassane Ouattara Stadium for the first time since their 4-0 mauling by Equatorial Guinea in their final group game.
“During the last games, the motivation from the fans has helped – we hope they will stay with us.”
Fae will be without suspended quartet Odilon Kossounou and Oumar Diakite, both sent off against Mali – the former after a torrid display, the latter for removing his shirt after his dramatic 122nd-minute winner, and captain Serge Aurier and Christian Kouame, who picked up second yellows last time out.
DR Congo seek history of their own
As two-time champions DR Congo contest their second Nations Cup semi-final this century and a first since losing to the Ivorians in 2015, the Leopards plan to wear black armbands for those recently affected by conflict in the nation.
On the pitch, a clear issue is the concession of penalties in both knockout games so far, against Egypt and Guinea, but the Central Africans can point to their own dead-ball prowess after a hat-trick of set-piece goals against Guinea – netting from a corner, penalty and free-kick.
Remarkably, DR Congo had made it all the way to the quarter-finals after drawing their first four games at the tournament, overcoming Egypt 8-7 on penalties in the last 16.
“Our first victory came at the right time because we’re gaining momentum,” said coach Sebastien Desabre, who has moulded this latest generation of Congolese into a compact unit.
“We may have only won once but remember we have not lost yet.”
Brentford forward Yoane Wissa is the leading scorer for the Leopards in Ivory Coast with two goals, while former Newcastle United defender Chancel Mbemba and ex-West Ham left-back Arthur Masuaku have also found the back of the net.
