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☆ William Troost-Ekong: Nigeria’s football captain on rollercoaster journey to the AFCON final
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Callum Sutherland | Amanda Davies | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Only six months ago, the Super Eagles skipper had been considering walking away from international football entirely following disagreements with coach José Peseiro. “[It] resulted in us not actually speaking for a few months,” the defender told CNN World Sport’s Amanda Davies in a recent interview. Captain William Troost-Ekong (center, number 5) celebrates after scoring a penalty during Nigeria's AFCON semi-final match against South Africa on February 7, 2024. After dispatching a penalty in regular time, Troost-Ekong made no mistake during the subsequent shoot-out to help send his side into the final in Abidjan. Once again, it was a lead that came courtesy of a Troost-Ekong goal; this time from a powerful header.

Persons: William Troost, José Peseiro, Ekong, Amanda Davies, I’ve, ”, “, AFCON, –, Issouf Sanogo, Sebastian Haller, Les Éléphants, Peseiro Organizations: CNN, Africa, of Nations, Super Eagles, The, Eagles, Equatorial, Guinea Bissau, South, Ivory Coast, Alassane Ouattara, Nigerian Football Federation, English Premier League, Watford, Greek, PAOK Thessaloniki, PAOK Locations: Qatar, Portuguese, Dutch, The Netherlands, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, South Africa, AFP, Cameroon, Angola, Abidjan, “, Holland, Belgium, Turkey, Italy

☆ Sébastien Haller: After recovering from testicular cancer, Ivory Coast striker scores winner in AFCON final
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

In the quarterfinals against Mali, Ivory Coast pulled off yet another great escape, once again scoring a last-minute equalizer before grabbing a winner in extra-time. The team’s uncanny ability to come back from the brink had earned them the nickname ‘Zombie Elephants’ and Ivory Coast lived up to its moniker again in the final. After Nigeria had taken a first-half lead through William Troost-Ekong’s header, the host nation fought its way back into the match. Cheered on from the stands by legendary striker Didier Drogba, Ivory Coast equalized just after the hour mark through Franck Kessié. Former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger and FIFA President Gianni Infantino also watched as Ivory Coast claimed its third AFCON title.

Persons: Sébastien Haller, Ouattara, Haller, Les Éléphants, Coast, Jean, Louis Gasset, Emerse Faé, –, Themba, Faé, William Troost, Didier Drogba, Franck Kessié, Simon Adingra’s, “, Ivory Coast’s Adingra, ” Drogba, Arsène Wenger, Gianni Infantino Organizations: CNN, Ivory, Africa, of Nations, German, Borussia Dortmund, Dortmund, Cancer, Senegal, Mali, Ivory Coast, Congo, Reuters, Arsenal, FIFA Locations: Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, Ivory

☆ Host nation Ivory Coast continues miraculous run to AFCON final to set up a matchup against Nigeria
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Samuel Joseph | Sam Joseph | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The host nation is seeking its third AFCON title, while Nigeria is looking to lift the trophy for the fourth time. ET on Sunday and will take place at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Ivory Coast midfielder Ibrahim Sangare (L) fights for the ball with DR Congo's Simon Banza. Against Mali, Ivory Coast pulled off yet another great escape, grabbing a last-minute equalizer. Nigeria goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali made two saves and striker Kelechi Iheanacho netted the deciding penalty to send Nigeria into the final.

Persons: Ouattara, Ivory, Les Éléphants, Jean, Louis Gasset, Emerse Faé, Ibrahim Sangare, DR Congo's Simon Banza, Franck Fife, Faé, Franck Kessié, Simon Adingra, Sébastien Haller, Ivory Coast's, Sia Kambou, William Troost, Ekong, Victor Osimhen, Osimhen, Percy Tau, Teboho Mokoena, Issouf Sanogo, Grant Kekana, Stanley Nwabali, Kelechi Iheanacho Organizations: CNN, Africa, of Nations, beIN Sports USA, DR Congo, Guinea, Equatorial, Coast, Ivory, DR Congo's, Getty, Senegal, Against, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Super Eagles, South Africa Locations: Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Ivory, Abidjan, South Africa, Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, AFP, Against Mali, Europe, AFCON, Cameroon, Angola, Africa

☆ Roberto ‘Pico’ Lopes: He ignored a Linkedin message once, but not the second time. When he responded his life changed forever
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Alasdair Howorth | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

I just thought it was a welcome message … so I ignored it.”Fortunately for Lopes, Cape Verde head coach time Rui Águas messaged the Shamrock Rovers defender again nine months later – this time in English – asking if he had considered his offer. Roberto Lopes, who plays for Cape Verde, was born and raised in Dublin. French forward Just Fontaine (L) scores in France's World Cup 5-2 semifinal defeat to Brazil in 1958. France’s captain at the first ever World Cup in 1930 was Algerian-born Alexandre Villaplane. But having recently reversed that policy, the Taifa Stars will have a number of players born outside the continent in its squad for the 2024 tournament.

Persons: CNN —, Roberto “ Pico ” Lopes, Lopes, “, ” Lopes, Rui Águas, Roberto Lopes, Ulrik Pedersen, Mohamed Salah, Lopes won’t, Alexandre Villaplane, Fontaine, Eusébio, Samuel Eto’o, Bryan Mbeumo, Yoane Wissa, ” Wissa, Darren Lewis, Benoît Assou, Ekotto, Ryan Byrne, ”, ‘, ’, Abdoulaye Doucouré, Wilfred Zaha, Les, Patrice Beaumelle, I’ve, I’m, ” Carlos ‘ Caluccha ’ Lopes, Roberto’s, Roberto, “ It’s, he’s, hasn’t Organizations: CNN, Shamrock Rovers, Cape, CNN Sport, Africa, of Nations, LinkedIn, AP, Google, Blue Sharks, Rovers, Professional, Association of Ireland’s, body’s, AFP, Getty, France, UEFA, Benfica, English Premier League, Cameroon soccer, Brentford, Ireland, Democratic, Former Cameroon, Tottenham Hotspur, Lions, League of Ireland Premier Division, Everton, Mali, Ivorian national team, Galatasaray, Cape Verde Locations: Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Cape Verde, Lopes , Cape Verde, Ireland, Egypt, Cape Verde’s, Ghana, Mozambique, Brazil, Africa, Algerian, French, Marrakech, Morocco, Mozambican, Angolan, Portuguese, Portugal, Algeria, Tanzania, Cameroon, Europe, Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, France, Poland, you’re, Ivory Coast, Cape Verdean, Verdean

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