Sports

Aims High for the 2024 AFCON

By - 10 Feb 2024 10:37 AM

With two games remaining, the Africa Cup of Nations has produced a record 116 goals. However, past performance indicates that Sunday's final between hosts Ivory Coast and Nigeria may not feature many goals. In the last ten editions of the African football championship, there have only been ten goals total, with six of those coming in the final two games. In 2004, the hosts Tunisia defeated Morocco 2-1, and 13 years later, Cameroon overcame Mohamed Salah-inspired Egypt by the same score.

Out of the remaining eight finals, four were decided by a single goal, and four more were decided by penalty shootouts following 120 minutes without a goal.

Since football is the most popular sport in Africa, it is not surprising that the AFCON finals are typically tense, defense-heavy contests for supremacy, given the immense pressure and pride at stake.

Record-breaking money is up for grabs this year, with $7 million going to the winners—$2 million more than Senegal took home after winning two years ago.In addition to the prize money, national football federations and governments may offer additional funding to AFCON-winning teams, and athletes may receive incentives from advertising.

In their previous meeting in 2024 during the second round of group stages, Ivory Coast and Nigeria managed to score just one goal—a penalty converted by Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong.

Despite only scoring six goals in six games, the Ivorian Elephants have advanced to the final, which is anticipated to draw 60,000 spectators to the Ebimpe Olympic Stadium in Abidjan.