During his performance at a show that surfaced online today, Monday, April 1, 2024, the rapper shared his belief that Nigeria's defeat in the AFCON final was predestined, echoing the sentiment of 'Que Sera Sera' – whatever will be, will be. He emphasized that the universe did not align in favor of the Giants of Africa on that particular occasion.

Odumodublvck highlighted the role of Ivorian and Borussia Dortmund player, Sebastian Haller, who played a pivotal part in Ivory Coast's AFCON 2023 campaign. He noted that Haller's triumphant return to professional football following his battle with testicular cancer in 2022 added a significant narrative to the tournament.

Despite not playing a prominent role in the final match, Haller emerged as the hero for Ivory Coast by scoring the decisive goal, securing their third AFCON title at the expense of Nigeria. The rapper interpreted this outcome as a reflection of fate, suggesting that the universe orchestrated Ivory Coast's victory as a symbolic acknowledgment of Haller's resilience and triumph over adversity.

"The reason Nigeria lost the cup is because we were never meant to win it. There's a player called Sebastian Haller for Ivory Coast, he suffered testicular cancer, he played nothing in that match but he was the one that scored the winning goal," Odumodublvck stated, emphasizing the significance of Haller's story in the context of the tournament's outcome.

While the loss may have been disappointing for Nigerian football enthusiasts, Odumodublvck's perspective sheds light on the broader narrative of resilience and the unpredictable nature of sporting events.

Why Nigeria lost the AFCON final

- OdumoduBlvck pic.twitter.com/D8r5UFzeCx

— @𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗷𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗯𝗼𝘆 (@OneJoblessBoy) April 1, 2024

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Alex Iwobi in a recent podcast session spoke on how he had no idea that he was being bullied online till Victor Osimhen came to his room to talk to him about it mentioning how it was wrong for him to be subjected to such hate.

Iwobi revealed that he had told the Napoli frontman that it was part of football as him being subjected to such was not a new thing for him and as such he could hardly be bothered about the incident.

The Fulham midfielder also spoke about why he had not been creative at AFCON 2023. Iwobi stated, “Frank (Onyeka) and I were instructed to stay where we were, go for every second ball, run, keep the ball, manage it, change it from left to right, all you have to do is manage to the game. That was the role we were asked to play, you have to be there always because we have wingbacks like Ademola Lookman, Moses Simon, and Samuel Chukwueze that can at least support in the attack. So, when you try to communicate, it’s hard because the fans were a lot, we hardly could communicate, it was hard to adjust but we just had to do what we have been doing in all competition, stay defensive, come back but it was hard to press or even create chances.”

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The struggle for gender equality in African football was once again rewarded at the recently concluded AFCON 2023 which took place in Ivory Coast as it became an edition of many firsts for women in African football whilst also giving room for improved growth for previous stepping stones set in previous editions.

This remarkable feat for women who are now receiving more recognition in African football is a milestone that should be marked and celebrated in International Women's Month which is why we have compiled a list of 4 amazing women who stood out at AFCON 2023 for us.

First Female Afrobeats artist to perform at AFCON, Yemi Alade

Yemi Alade, also known as "Mama Africa of the new generation", was one of the most prominent female artists to participate in the AFCON 2023 tournament. She was responsible for singing the theme song of the competition, titled "Akwaba", alongside Magic System and Mohamed Ramadan but joined two other talented female singers Abiba and Rinyu as the only ones to work on a theme song for the competition. Yemi Alade's performance at the opening ceremony of the event was truly remarkable. As she took to the centre of the stadium, her perfect rendition of the theme song left the audience in awe.

Notably, Yemi Alade became the first female Afrobeats artist ever to be part of the theme song for AFCON, as well as the first to perform at the opening ceremony of the competition. Her contribution to the tournament will undoubtedly go down in history as a significant milestone for African female artists.

Describing her experience Yemi Alade stated, “Honestly, it’s an honour to represent my continent and encourage healthy competition in a sport loved globally. It’s a dream come true for me to have created the official anthem for AFCON alongside African music royalties. I believe that the whole world will be watching their favourite countries at the AFCON supporting their national team. “I also believe that this platform will be the springboard for many players’ careers. I wish them the best and honestly can’t wait for female championships around the world to get the accolades they deserve. I believe it will happen very soon so, let’s all be part of history in the making, get involved everyone! Let’s support African football and travel to Ivory Coast to witness the games or just watch on your TV screen. Stay informed!.”

First female commentator at AFCON, Amanda Dlamini 

Former Bayana Bayana of South Africa star Amanda Dlamini unlocked a new milestone for women in the history of African football as she became the first female commentator at the Africa Cup of Nations.

On Wednesday, January 17th, 2024, Amanda Dlamini achieved the historic milestone as she took charge of commentary alongside Daniel Amokachi and Ndah in the game between Morocco and Tanzania which took place at Stade Laurent Pokou in San Pedro during Group F's opening rounds of fixtures. This was however not the first time Amanda had worked as an analyst on SuperSport for local and also CAF Inter-Club matches. She also joined the team of CAF Analysts for the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 2022 in Morocco.

Describing the experience Amanda stated, “I knew it was the biggest day of my life to do a Men’s CAF Africa Cup of Nations. When I was told I will be commentating at AFCON, I was very overwhelmed but had to try keep calm. I didn’t want it to get to my head because of how emotional the feeling was. I’m hoping this historic moment opens more doors for many other women to believe in their abilities and talents.”

The first North African woman to officiate a men's football match, Bouchra Karboubi

Armed with a whistle and the confidence of many nations Moroccan Bouchra Karboubi took charge of the final group A fixture Nigeria vs Guinea Bissau and became the first North African woman to officiate a men's football match and also the second female referee to officiate a major men's football tournament in Africa.

This was a huge development accompanied by the fact that AFCON 2023 itself had a total of 5 female referees who were internal components of the tournament itself the very first of its kind for Africa.

Describing her experience Bouchra stated, "Refereeing this match was an honor for me. During the last AFCON, I was the first woman to do VAR, I was in the final and on this AFCON, I am a central referee. It was a pride for me to represent African women and to represent refereeing in Africa. The Guinea Bissau – Nigeria match was a serious challenge for me. We had to show that we are here, the first women’s referee trio. So, we had no room for error because we did our best to live up to the trust that CAF placed in us."

More young female journalists

AFCON 2023 saw more young female journalist (Photojournalist, print and media) all show huge interest in the tournament. This was a first of its kind and it also showed that barriers that exists were slowly starting to fade away. For some it was its first of its kind whilst for others it was another learning experinece that surpassed their expectations. Female photojournalists who stood out for us include,

• Weam Mostafa Elsayed - Egypt
• Justina Aniefiok - Nigeria
• Sarjo Baldeh - Gambia
• Khady Sy - Mauritania

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Nuno made this shocking revelation in his pre-match press conference ahead of the Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest fixture in the premier league when asked if Ola Aina would be fit and available for the fixture. ]

Nuno stated that Ola Aina had picked up an injury in the Nigeria vs South Africa semi-final fixture and had played the final of AFCON 2023 against Ivory Coast injured as well.

He stated, “Ola got injured in the semi-final and played the final with an injury, he tried but didn’t really play in the final. Ibrahim, the same, he was struggling since he was there at the AFCON. So the three of them (Ola, Willy, Ibrahim) are not available for this match, which is bad for us. We don’t have a date for their return.”

Many had noticed that Ola Aina had not been in the best of forms in the final match of AFCON 2023, and the revelation made by Nuno Espirito has finally put things into perspective for fans and it also points in the direction of the fact that the Nigerian players had given it their all in the game as well.

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William Troost-Ekong, a Nigerian defender who plays for Greek Super League team PAOK Salonica, has expressed his openness to playing in the Saudi Arabia Professional Football League in the future. The 30-year-old recently won the coveted Most Valuable Player (MVP) award at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations held in Cote d’Ivoire.

During the competition, his impressive performance caught the attention of several clubs in the Saudi Arabian top-flight league. Troost-Ekong, who previously played for Watford, has indicated that he would be keen to explore the possibility of playing in Saudi Arabia if he had the opportunity to do so.

He said, “I can’t tell you that now because it’s not right in front of me. The Saudi League is something which is exciting, you saw quite a lot of the best players who were part of the AFCON have headed in that direction and are playing there. If that option is in front of me, then, I will have to study it a bit more and consider it.”

When asked the question about his desire to share the field with the Portuguese football legend, Cristiano Ronaldo, He said; “Who wouldn’t? One of the best players in the world. We’ll have to see what happens but I’m happy at PAOK.”

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Initial debates and speculations as to players that will challenge for the highest goal scorer at AFCON 2023 have been nullified and thrown right out of the window as the tournement came to an end as key players representing their countries have defied all odds and have risen to the big occasion of putting their country on the map and giving their team an equal fight ground to challenge for the highly coveted title on the continent.

READ ALSO: Ex-player reveals why Victor Osimhen is struggling to score goals as AFCON round of 16 draws closer

Who is the highest goal scorer at AFCON 2023?

Equatorial Guinea captain Emilio Nsue Lopez is the highest goal scorer at AFCON 2023 with a total of five goals in three games under his belt in the competition's group stage.

This is an unprecedented outcome as the 34-year-old who currently plays his football at the club level at the third-tier Spanish club CF Intercity in Alicante, plays as a defender for his club side.

Nsue is being deployed as a forward at the country level for Equatorial Guinea and has proven to be clinical and effective in that role as he scored his country's first hattrick at AFCON in 16 years in the 4-2 thumping and mauling of Guinea-Bissau before following up with a brace in the 2-0 victory over the hosts, Ivory Coast.

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Full list of the highest goal scorers

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Former AC Milan, Valencia, and Napoli head coach Gattuso was brought in by Marseille in September 2023 to replace Marcelino, who resigned just seven games into his tenure. At the time of Marcelino's departure, Marseille was in third place on the table, but under Gattuso's leadership, the Ligue 1 side slipped to ninth.

Despite remaining competitive in the Europa League, where they drew 2-2 with Shakhtar Donetsk in the first leg of their playoff, Marseille struggled in the league, enduring a six-game winless streak. They found themselves eight points behind the Champions League places and trailing fifth-placed Monaco by five points. Fan frustration reached new heights, prompting meetings with the club's ultras.

Marseille is reportedly set to appoint Gasset, who has been without a job since being dismissed by Ivory Coast midway through the Africa Cup of Nations.

Gasset, 70, took charge of Ivory Coast in May 2022 but was let go after a disappointing start to the tournament. Despite his departure, the team went on to win the AFCON under caretaker manager Emerse Fae.

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The Chippa United goalkeeper following a successful AFCON 2023 campaign returned to his place of birth Rivers State and was well received by the governor, His Exellency, Siminalayi Fubara.

Governor Siminalayi Fubara warmly welcomed Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, acknowledging his outstanding performance at the 2023 African Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.

The governor not only announced a N20 million reward for Nwabali but also revealed plans to bestow upon him the Distinguished Service Star of Rivers State.

Additionally, Governor Fubara generously gifted a sum of N30 million to the present Super Eagles' crew which included Jose Peseiro in appreciation of their efforts.

Stanely Nwabali was also given a chieftaincy title in his home Egbema Kingdom, by His Royal Majesty, Nzeobi Evaritus Amida.

Stanley Nwabali was bestowed with the prestigious title of "The Pride of Egbema Kingdom" in recognition of his exceptional performance for the Super Eagles during the recently concluded 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

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Emilio Nsue who was crowned the highest goalscorer at the recently concluded AFCON 2023 after scoring 5 goals for Equatorial Guinea, took to his Instagram platform via a live session to air out his grievances over the decision by the Football Association along the way.

The footballer also made shocking allegations against the Football Association as he called them out for corruption, theft, forgery, neglecting the home-based players' growth project, and considering the option of recruiting outside the country.

The lengthy interview which was mainly in Portuguese was revealed to have had Emilio Nsue also state that the Equatorial Guinea Football Association took one million euros from the money received by the team at ACON 2023.

According to reports Emilio Nsue stated the following about the Football Association of Equatorial Guinea, “These cancerous and corrupt people who manage football in Equatorial Guinea took 1 million euros for themselves by leaving the national team in bad conditions. The only congratulations I received when I got my top scorer award came from the Ivorian authorities. My country has been ungrateful to me.”

He went on to add, “They want to change the sports project and bring in Brazilians. You are shameless, we are the tenth best team on the African continent. They take money everywhere, they owe us money and they are stealing it.”

He also revealed, “Before the match against Nigeria, the players did not have any outfits ready. The equipment used in the national team is paid by the players and not the Federation. The FA threatened certain local players and taking money from them but I said, no and this is unfair and they humiliated me and thrown me out. The National team is above everything and everyone.”

La crítica de Emilio Nsue a la Federación de Guinea Ecuatorial:

“Estos chupopteros, cánceres, corruptos se llevaron un millón de euros”.

Prometieron a los jugadores que una parte del dinero de la Copa África iría para el fútbol local del país.

@AfricaFutbolera pic.twitter.com/4AbHNh5wv9

— Relevo (@relevo) February 15, 2024

Emilio Nsué López live on Instagram:

“These cancerous and corrupt people who manage football in Equatorial Guinea took 1 million euros for themselves by leaving the national team in bad conditions.”

He added:

“The only congratulations I received when I got my top scorer award… pic.twitter.com/DYlFhx4QOz

— Micky Jnr (@MickyJnr__) February 15, 2024

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The body governing football on the continent of Africa, CAF has announced the best 11 players from the just-concluded 2023 AFCON. The idea of the list is to celebrate this set of players who helped their nations to greater heights in the tournament.

The major omission from the list is Super Eagles forward player, Victor Osimhen, who was recently named the best player on the continent. The Napoli striker scored only one goal which came against Equatorial Guinea and also added two assists to his name in the games against Cameroon and South Africa.

Who are the players that made CAF's team of the tournament?

Goalkeeper:

Ronwem Williams ( South Africa)

Defenders:

Ola Aina ( Nigeria )

William Troost-Ekong ( Nigeria)

Chancel Mbemba ( DR Congo)

Ghislain Konan ( Cote d'Ivoire)

Midfielders:

Teboho Mokoena ( South Africa)

Jean Michael Seri ( Cote d'Ivoire)

Franck Kessi ( Cote d'Ivoire)

Forwards:

Yoane Wissa ( DR Congo)

Emilio Nsue ( Equatorial Guinea)

Ademola Lookman ( Nigeria )

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With the final result in and nerves settled, we have analyzed how the fixture Nigeria vs Ivory Coast had gone and here are the key observations we made as to why the Super Eagles who had given it their all in the entire AFCON 2023 tournament had not secured the victory and their first title in over 10 years.

What went wrong for the Super Eagles of Nigeria in the finals of AFCON 2023?

Exhaustion and poor man management

One major catalyst we identified as the main reason the Super Eagles were not at 100 percent in the game was the fact that the players who have put in incredible shifts all through the competition in a formation that demands times two of their usual efforts were exhausted for a better part of the game.

This was not a new observation as the signs had begun to show in the semi-final victory over South Africa where we saw the boys play an extra 30 minutes before going to penalties and picking up the win from the shootouts.

For many who are familiar with the fact that a formation that requires key players to put in extra shifts and perform as pivots, exhaustion after constant use of the same set of players game in and game out is entirely possible.

Antonio Conte's formation at Chelsea and Tottenham is a prime example of such a situation as Chelsea suffered in the second season after the arrival of the Italian coach who relied heavily on his wingers with a 3-man defence line and so did key players such as Son Heuing-Min and Richarlison for Spurs

For Nigeria at AFCON, there was a heavy reliance on the wingbacks with the midfield line sitting in deep and functioning as defenders and sometimes wingers if needed. Performing these roles in harsh weather conditions and with the same set of players can lead to exhaustion and affect the overall performance of the entire team a side effect we saw in the finals of the fixture.

The head coach Peseiro could have retained the same formation but with changes made in terms of personnel in positions that require extra efforts on the pitch to ensure the effectiveness of the formation itself. With players like Terem Moffi, Kelechi Iheanacho, Bruno, Aribo and many more all available on the bench, a change in key roles could have been efficient in providing support for the team.

The Ivory Coast interim coach mentioned this after the match as he stated that they noticed that the Super Eagles of Nigeria stars were tired and were not in the best of shapes and as such he advised the team to capitalize on that.

Fae in the post-match statement revealed, "We noticed the Nigerian players were tired in the first half. They were not at their usual best.”

Lack of tactical flexibility

It is important for a team, a top side to be more precise to possess tactical flexibility that can see them adapt to any situation in any fixture. Tactical flexibility allows you to be able to adjust your team and players to the tempo and result of the game. Nigeria has lacked this in the entire tournament sticking to one formation and not adjusting to outwit the opponents.

This almost cost the team in the fixture against South Africa in the semi-finals of the AFCON 2023, individual brilliance as well as the defensive strengths of the Super Eagles of Nigeria had been what kept the team afloat and took the game into penalties.

South Africa identified a gap in Nigeria's formation and exploited it with long balls and precise defence-splitting crosses which had the team struggling for a huge part of the game. The statistics were also in the favour of the Bafana Bafana of South Africa as the team with a player down recorded over 600 passes and maintained 61 percent of the ball possession.

Although Nigeria had gotten the results signs had begun to show ahead of the finals that the team required a tactical flexibility that can see them adopt based on the style of play of their opponents.

Absence of creativity

The absence of creativity when it comes to crafting chances that could possibly lead to goals was another huge setback the Super Eagles of Nigeria lacked in their final game of AFCON 2023 and this created an over-reliance of the team on direct balls.

Creativity is very important in any gameplay of a team as this creates an opportunity for the forward and other attackers to get goals. It is uncertain if the removal of Wilfred Ndidi due to injury from the squad affected the dynamics going into the competition but one thing is certain the Super Eagles would need to re-strategise going into the qualifiers for the World Cup 2026 and AFCON 2025.

Overall, the spirit and doggedness of the team is something commendable as the players have shown once again what patriotism and teamwork can achieve against all odds with their performance at AFCON 2023, many like myself expect the team to build on this going forward.

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The distraught footballer took a drastic step by clearing his Instagram posts on Monday, February 12, 2024, initially leaving only one promotional post for his brand but eventually clearing that as well.

Iwobi's action came in the wake of relentless trolling by Nigerians who blamed him for the team's defeat against Ivory Coast. Disheartened by the online harassment, Iwobi opted to wipe his Instagram feed clean, keeping only a solitary promotional post and disabling comments on his remaining post.

As the nephew of the iconic Nigerian footballer, Jay Jay Okocha, expectations were high for Iwobi to emulate his uncle's stellar performances. However, his perceived subpar performance in the AFCON finals drew the attention of fans, leading to widespread online ridicule.

The decision to purge his Instagram account elicited a flurry of reactions from fans, further highlighting the intense scrutiny and pressure faced by athletes in the age of social media.

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Declan Rice took to William Troost-Ekong's comment section on Instagram to praise his remarkable performance as the captain of the Super Eagles of Nigeria at the recently concluded AFCON 2023 in which Nigeria had lost the finals to Cote d'Ivoire.

His post praised Ekong for his stellar performance at the competition and also received acknowledgement from fans in the comment section as well.

Troost-Ekong who had been crowned the player of the tournament took to his social media platform to thank fans for their unrelenting support throughout the tournament adding that this was a learning curve for the club and they would be looking to comeback better and stronger.

His post on social media read, "NAIJA THANK YOU! I LOVE U DIE NO WORDS CAN JUSTIFY THE FEELING OF LOSING A FINAL. IM PROUD OF OUR TEAM, OUR NATION, OUR SPIRIT. HEADS UP, KEEP TRYING, WE WILL SOAR AGAIN CONGRATULATIONS CIV! #AFCON2023."  

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AFCON 2023 has set a new precedent many believe upcoming CAF competitions will continue to follow as the tournament attracted audiences from different parts of the world and earned comparison of being up to par with competitions like the Euros and so on.

Questions as to how and why the 2023 edition marks the turning point of the AFCON itself have taken center stage and the answer is not far-fetched as the football body CAF made crucial decisions that led to this particular change.

In 2019, the CAF elected to expand the tournament from 16 to 24 teams. While this was met with criticism at the time, it turned out to be a huge success. More teams mean more games and more opportunities for the biggest stars to shine. It also provided countries which are often categorized as the underdogs with the opportunity to assert themselves and also cause a tournament upset.

There are so many lessons learnt from the tournament itself and they are:

The Unpredictable Nature of AFCON

Fans of football know just how unpredictable the sport can be. While it may not be as exciting as playing the latest slots at Jackpot City Casino, it provides fans with plenty of unexpected results. The Africa Cup of Nations is particularly unpredictable, with results rarely ever turning out as fans and experts might predict.

Big teams struggled to impress, with Nigeria, Ghana, Egypt and hosts Ivory Coast all being beaten by lower ranked teams. Of course, the nature of a tournament is that anyone can win, but the stronger teams normally have enough to progress. In the case of AFCON, things are certainly so certain. You can never count out underdog nations such as Equatorial Guinea, Cape Verde and Angola.

It's hard to say exactly why the AFCON is so unpredictable, but it’s clear that it means a lot to all of the teams involved. In addition, there is always a lot of support from fans, which can help to give the players the motivation they need to scrape a win against all odds.

The Expansion of the Tournament

When the expansion of the Africa Cup of Nations was first proposed, many were against the idea. They believed it would water down the tournament, leading to too many uninteresting games and a lower quality of football. However, nothing could be further from the truth. The expansion has created a more vibrant and interesting competition.

With 24 teams instead of 16, AFCON is better and more exciting than ever. It means that teams which would never have qualified have a chance to play on the biggest stage, which can only be good for helping African football grow. In addition, it’s called into question the accuracy of the FIFA ranking systems, and showed many experts and fans that star players don’t necessarily mean everything.

Everyone loves a good underdog story, and matches such as Equatorial Guinea’s 4-0 win over Ivory Coast have gotten the whole world talking. The expanded format has meant that more eyes than ever are firmly focused on African football and it bodes well for the future of sport on the continent.

The Future of AFCON

Africa has always produced brilliant talents, with many star players going on to play for some of the best teams in Europe. AFCON should be a tournament that features the very best of what African football has to offer. However, for many years it has been seen as something of a distraction for top players.

Many African football stars prefer to focus on club football rather than the national team, but with more interest in the tournament that could change. In addition, the tournament is helping people see that African talent isn’t only found playing in Europe. Some of the best players of the tournament play in leagues all over the continent and across the world. 

AFCON 2025 which will be hosted by Morocco is on the horizon and fans remain at the edge of their seats in anticipation of another blockbuster tournament.

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The Ivorians became the first country to host and win an AFCON competition for the first time in 18 years since Egypt achieved the feat in 2006.

Here are some other records that were set at the tournament;

(1) Number of goals scored

The 34th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations hosted in Ivory Coast will go down as the best in the history of the competition. The 2023 edition is the third to produce more than 100 goals and set the record for most goals with 119. Equatorial Guinea’s Emilio Nsue Lopez won the Golden Boot with five goals.

(2) Franck Kessie

The Al-Ahli midfielder wrote his name into the history book of the competition by becoming the first Ivorian to score a goal in an AFCON final. The two times they initially won it was on penalties after the game ended goalless.

(3) William Troost Ekong:

The Super Eagles captain who plays for Super League Greece club PAOK also wrote his name in the history books of the 2023 edition of AFCON. He scored three goals for Nigeria which took his goal tally to five across all previous editions.

Ekong became the first Nigerian defender to score five goals in the competition surpassing the four goals scored by Late Stephen Keshi.

(4) Youssef Msakin and Andre Ayew

Both players will also be remembered for the record they set at the AFCON 2023, the duo played in their eighth tournament. The record was held by former Egypt midfielder Ahmed Hassan and Cameroon’s Rigobert Song for having the most appearances at AFCON.

Ayew participated in his first AFCON age of 18 in the 2008 edition which was hosted by Ghana while Msakin made his debut AFCON debut in 2010.

(5) Mauritania scored two goals in a match:

Mauritania shocked football fans around the world when they defeated one of the tournament favourites, Algeria 1-0 in their second group-stage game.

However, this set of Mauritania players wrote their names in gold by scoring more than one goal in an AFCON tournament. This feat was achieved in the final group game against Angola which they eventually lost 3-2.

(6) Rowen Williams:

The South African goalkeeper will not be forgotten by Cape Verde following his heroic saves in the quarter-final match. Williams became the first goalkeeper in the history of the Africa Cup of Nations to save four penalties in a penalty shoot-out.

He also went on to win the golden gloves of the tournament by beating Nigeria's shot-stopper, Stanley Nwabali

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The highly anticipated final match between the Nigeria Super Eagles and Ivory Coast ended in disappointment for Nigerians, who had hoped for victory but were defeated with a score of 2-1.

In response to the defeat, Cassper Nyovest took to social media (X) today, Monday, February 12, 2024, to taunt Nigerians, suggesting that they should return the Amapiano music genre to South Africa since they did not emerge victorious in the tournament. He referenced Nigeria's previous claims of being the custodians of Amapiano music and implied that their loss meant they should relinquish ownership of the genre.

In his post, he said, "Nigeria does that mean we can have our Amapiano back? cause technically, you didn’t win the tournament so return to creators please?"

This exchange highlights the ongoing rivalry between Nigeria and South Africa, both on the soccer field and in the realm of music. Following Nigeria's victory over South Africa in the AFCON semi-finals, Nigerians had boasted about their dominance in both soccer and music, fueling tensions between the two countries on social media platforms.

Cassper Nyovest's remarks shows the significance of Amapiano music in the cultural exchange between Nigeria and South Africa. Originating in South Africa, Amapiano has gained widespread popularity across the continent, with Nigerian artists also contributing to its growth and evolution. However, Nyovest's comments reflect a desire among some South Africans to reclaim ownership of the genre amidst the competitive atmosphere of the AFCON tournament.

Despite the banter and rivalry, the AFCON tournament has provided a platform for both countries to showcase their talent and passion for soccer and music. While Nigeria may have fallen short in the final match, the spirit of competition and cultural exchange continues to thrive between the two African nations.

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