Sebastien Haller delivered a stunning last-minute victory as hosts Ivory Coast staged a thrilling comeback to defeat Victor Osimhen's Nigeria 2-1 in Sunday's Africa Cup of Nations final, completing an extraordinary tournament turnaround to clinch their third continental title.
Nigeria appeared poised to replicate their earlier 1-0 win over Ivory Coast at the Ebimpe Olympic Stadium in the group stage, with captain William Troost-Ekong, who had scored the decisive penalty in that encounter, nodding in the opener late in the first half.
However, Franck Kessie leveled the score just after the hour mark, and Haller converted Simon Adingra's cross in the 81st minute, igniting jubilant scenes among the sea of orange in the Abidjan stands.
Ivory Coast's triumph adds this year's title to their victories in 1992 and 2015, also equaling Nigeria's three Cup of Nations triumphs overall.
Despite being led by the reigning African Player of the Year, Osimhen, Nigeria had appeared as the tournament's most formidable team throughout the past month.
But Ivory Coast's sense of destiny was simply too overpowering, as they became the first host country to win the AFCON since 2006.
Didier Drogba captained the Elephants team that lost on penalties to Egypt in Cairo in that final 18 years ago, while this time he was among the spectators to witness a stunning victory for his country.
"It is greater than a fairytale," said coach Emerse Fae, who took over a stricken team mid-tournament.
"I am struggling to take it all in. When I think about all we have been through, the difficult moments, moments when we were behind, when we came back in the last minute of games.
"We are miracle survivors."
It is an incredible achievement for a side that was on the brink of elimination in the group stage after losing 4-0 to Equatorial Guinea on Jan. 22.
That was their heaviest-ever home defeat and the Ivorians then parted company with coach Jean-Louis Gasset, replacing him with Fae, a teammate of Drogba's in 2006.
They then began a remarkable turnaround which saw them oust holders Senegal on penalties, beat Mali with a last-gasp goal in extra time, and edge out DR Congo with a Haller goal in the last four.
Their supporters packed out the stadium to its 60,000 capacity, with many fans having to watch from vantage points on stairways.
Anyone wanting to dampen the excitement levels might have pointed out that Cup of Nations finals tend to be low-scoring affairs.
There were just 10 goals scored in the last 11 finals, five of which were decided on penalties after a 0-0 stalemate.
Indeed, Ivory Coast's four previous final appearances had all ended goalless before going to penalties, two of which they had won.
This looked set to be another nervy, low-scoring affair with chances few and far between early on.
However, the home side then had a great chance on 34 minutes when Kessie found Adingra on the left and his shot was turned away by Nigerian goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali.
That proved crucial as Nigeria went ahead just four minutes later when Ademola Lookman's corner from the left was touched on and Troost-Ekong headed in from the edge of the six-yard area.
Earlier in the tournament, the Ivorians would have crumbled in such a scenario, but they deserve great credit for regrouping and throwing everything at Nigeria.
Max-Alain Gradel's net-bound shot was blocked in front of the line by Calvin Bassey five minutes after the restart before Nwabali turned an Odilon Kossounou long-range piledriver around the post on 62 minutes.
They drew level from the corner which followed that, as Kessie – whose late penalty had rescued the hosts against Senegal in the last 16 – appeared at the back post to head into the net.
It seemed inevitable that a second Ivory Coast goal would follow and it duly did with nine minutes of the 90 left as Haller got his studs to Adingra's cross and diverted the ball into the far corner.
Behind for the first time since their opening match, Nigeria could not react, and Ivory Coast held on for victory.
"Ivory Coast were better than us today," admitted Nigeria coach Jose Peseiro.
"I am sad, my team is sad, but for me they did the maximum, each one. Sometimes you want to do something but you cannot do it."
