Where can I watch Nigeria vs. Ivory Coast AFCON 2023 final live on TV?
This game will be televised on beIN Sports USA and beIN SPORTS en Espanol for fans in the USA. Here is where the game will be televised in other countries:
UK: BBC3, Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Sports Football, and Sky Sports Main Event
Australia: beIN Sports 2
Canada: beIN Sports Canada and beIN SPORTS en Espanol
If you live elsewhere, please check our dedicated match page for further information on how to follow this game live on TV in your country.
Where can I stream Nigeria vs. Ivory Coast AFCON 2023 final live?
This game will be streamed on beIN SPORTS CONNECT for fans in the USA. Here is where the game will be streamed in other countries:
UK: Sky GO, Sky GO Extra and BBC iPlayer
Australia: beIN SPORTS CONNECT
Canada: beIN SPORTS CONNECT Canada
If you live elsewhere, please check our dedicated match page for further information on how to stream this game live in your country.
Preview
The Africa Cup of Nations final is — finally! — here. Four weeks after kicking off the tournament with a 2-0 win over Guinea-Bissau, hosts Ivory Coast find themselves in the ultimate game scheduled to take place at 3 p.m. ET. However, the mighty Nigeria stand in their way in what promises to be an exciting Olympic Stadium of Ebimpé showdown.
The Super Eagles head into this game as favorites and for obvious reasons. In Victor Osimhen, Nigeria boast the African Player of the Year while still being able to call upon the likes of Ademola Lookman, Tarem Moffi, and Samuel Chukwueze.
Despite this, the three-time AFCON winners are yet to find form in attack. The aforementioned Osimhen entered this tournament as the player to watch, but with only one game left, he has yet to find the back of the net since his goal in their opener against Equatorial Guinea.
The Napoli sensation came close to grabbing his second in the semifinals. However, an eye-catching but justified intervention from VAR not only overturned that goal but also subsequently awarded the opponents a penalty.
That showdown was against South Africa, which ended in a nail-biting 1-1 draw, with Nigeria winning on penalties. Stanley Nwabili made two saves on the day to send his nation through to the final, but the Super Eagles will not want to rely on goalkeeping heroics in the final.
One key positive behind Nigeria's run is their defensive solidity. South Africa's goal was the first time José Peseiro's side had conceded since their opening-day draw against Equatorial Guinea. Will the Super Eagles keep the hosts at bay in the final as well?
Ivory Coast's run to the final has been nothing short of miraculous. The hosts kicked off the tournament with a 2-0 victory over Guinea-Bissau, but after losing their two subsequent group-stage fixtures, the Elephants appeared destined for an early exit.
Fortunately, results elsewhere saw Kessie and Co. qualify by the skin of their teeth as the fourth-best third-placed team of the group stage. Regardless, their poor group-stage campaign led to the sacking of Jean-Louis Gasset, mainly due to their historic 4-0 loss to Equatorial Guinea, with Emerse Faé being appointed as caretaker.
Things only got more shocking from then on as Ivory Coast beat the odds to get past the round of 16 and the quarterfinals. First came a showdown with Senegal, the defending champions. Most fans had their money on Sadio Mane's side getting through with ease, but after holding them to a 1-1 draw, the Elephants overcame the Lions of Teranga on penalties to dump out the title holders.
In the last eight, the hosts faced Mali and were reduced to 10 men just before halftime. Come the 71st minute, Faé's side found themselves 1-0 down, but a well-crafted goal from Brighton ace Simon Adingra in the 90th minute forced the game into extra time before Oumar Diakité won them the game with a goal in the 123rd minute.
Sebastian Haller, the Dortmund striker who recently beat cancer, stole the headlines in the semifinals by scoring the winner against DR Congo to send his nation to the final. Nigeria now stand in their way of a third AFCON title. This promises to be the toughest test for the Elephants in this entire tournament.
Team news
Nigeria: Victor Osimhen was a doubt for the semifinal due to abdominal discomfort, but the Napoli ace recovered in time for that game and should be available for the final. The striker will be partnered with Ademola Lookman in attack, but the Super Eagles might need to rotate for this game given that they played more minutes than their rivals in the semifinals.
Ivory Coast: Oumar Diakite is back from suspension but might not start this game. The Elephants have a lot to pick from in attack, with Nicolas Pepe, Simon Adingra, and Max Gradel all vying for starts alongside Sebastian Haller, who is expected to lead the line.
Key stats
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Nigeria and Ivory Coast have met already in this competition, with the hosts losing 1-0 to their rivals.
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The Super Eagles look to become the first team since 2006 to beat the same team twice in a single AFCON tournament — they were the last time to pull this off, beating Senegal in the group stage and third-place match.
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Only Egypt and Ghana (9 each) have featured in more AFCON finals than Nigeria (8).
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The Elephants, meanwhile, have featured in four finals and all four went to penalties, winning two and losing two.
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Ivory Coast are the first host nation to reach the AFCON final since Egypt in 2006. Oddly enough, the North African powerhouse faced Ivory Coast in that final and won on penalties.
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These two nations have met seven times before in this competition, with Nigeria winning on three occasions while losing twice (D2).
Broadcast listings
Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
