By James Robert Kayindi
Ivory Coast will sit comfortably waiting to know who they face in this year’s finals of the Africa Cup of Nations after cruising past Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) yesterday with a 3-1 victory at the Estadio de Bata stadium.
Goals from the 2014 African player of the year Yaya Toure, Roma’s Gervinho and Wilfred Kanon helped the Elephants book a place in the 2015 AFCON final for the third time in 9 years after making it there in 2006 and 2012 losing to Egypt and Zambia respectively.
After a clumsy start, four time African player of the year and team captain Yaya Toure led by example when he broke the deadlock in the 21st minute but their lead was short lived when Dieumerci Mbokani leveled matters three minutes later from a penalty spot after Eric Bailly handled the ball in the area.
With four minutes left on the clock to half-time, Roma’s Gervinho reclaimed the Elephants’ lead with a strike to make it 2-1 and marking his second of the tournament after netting one against the Desert Foxes of Algeria in the quarter finals.
In the second half, the Ivorian goalie Gbohouo did quite a lot to keep the Elephants in the lead after being forced into a couple of saves before Wilfred Kanon put the last nail in DR Congo’s coffin in the 68th minute and making it 3-1 in the process.
The one time champions (of 1992) now await for Ghana to take on the hosts Equatorial Guinea in today’s second semifinal game to know who they will be facing in the finals.
Email Robert: Robert.k.cirlces@gmail.com
