The dust has settled on what was, for many, the best Africa Cup of Nations in recent memory. Cote d’Ivoire won their third AFCON title on home soil beating Nigeria 2-1 at the Alassane-Ouattara stadium. They became the first nation to win the tournament on home soil since Egypt in 2006.It was a story of grit, sheer determination and an unshaken belief in themselves. Many couldn’t quite believe their eyes and couldn’t fathom how the hosts won the tournament. So do you really have to be the best team at a tournament to win it? Or are tournaments won through sheer will?
AFCON 2023 STATS
A favourite sports journalist of mine James Wokabi loves to say that stats are like a bikini. You can dress up any opinion you like in a bikini (stats) to suit your perspective but they never really tell the whole story. Mostly they are used to fit a certain narrative nevertheless let’s see what the stats were at the tournament.
The best scoring teams at the tournament were Angola, Equitorial Guinea and Senegal with nine goals each, Ivory Coast scored eight. According to Opta stats, DRC had the highest expected goals (XG) at the tournament with 11.1, Nigeria were second with 10.4. The eventual champions managed an XG of 8.3, which mirrored goals scored. South Africa had the most clean sheets with five, Nigeria had four, Ivory Coast managed one. FotMob.com had Senegal on average as the highest rated team at 7.27, Nigeria were third with 6.93 while Cote d’Ivoire had an average rating of 6.83, only best for 9th place. In terms of possession, however, the Elephants trump over the rest of the competition averaging 58.3% of the ball. Emerse Fae would be proud of that. Overall Ivory Coast spent only 18.8% of match time in a winning position, 145 minutes and 39 seconds according to Opta Analyst.
Statistically, it’s difficult to determine who the best team at the Nations Cup was as no team really dominated all the metrics. But I believe Nigeria come closest. They had arguably the meanest defense at the tournament and for large spells looked like a level above their opposition. Their display in the final was however disappointing. The lack of tactical flexibility by Jose Peseiro coupled up with poor individual displays from key players resulted in a tepid performance in the final. Ivory Coast dominated the ball and deservedly won the game. A reminder that Ivory Coast came into the tournament as second favourites behind Senegal according to the bookies. Maybe the shock was in the manner of the win?
Internationally, Real Madrid’s 2021/22 Champions League campaign remains one of the best tournament runs in history. A team, like Ivory Coast, written off at every knockout stage but who went against the odds to triumph. The comeback against Paris Saint-Germain, shocker against Chelsea , miracle at the Bernabeu against Manchester City and the Thibaut Courtois masterclass in Paris. A run worthy of the theatres. Madrid, for some, were not the best team in the Champions League that season, Manchester City were. Chelsea’s two Champions League titles were both as underdogs and were very fortunate to win especially in Munich 2012.Portugal’s Euro 2016 win also mirrored Ivory Coast’s triumph. The Ronaldo led side went winless in the group stage, qualifying as one of the best third teams and went on to upset Portugal in the final. So you can win tournaments without necessarily being the best team in the tournament.
On the other hand, the Spanish team of 2008-2012 dominated football and rightfully won every available title. Italy in Euro 2020 were the best team in the tournament but had to scrape through the Semis and final on penalties. The German machine in 2014 deservedly won the World Cup. Argentina’s win in 2022 was deserved despite the late French resurgence. Argentina for 60 minutes played some of the best football in a final and the French could barely contain them.
The intangibles such as team spirit and home support cannot be understated. Man has been able to achieve unthinkable success through sheer persistence and a trait like that is a significant difference maker in sports. Ivory Coast are living proof. So where do you stand? Do you have to be the best team in a tournament to win it or are tournaments won through sheer will?
