BATA: Ivory Coast powered into the African Cup of Nations final with a dominant 3-1 win over Democratic Republic of Congo in the Estadio de Bata on Wednesday, giving the star-studded title favourites a chance of ending 25 years of agony at the continental championship.

Big-name players Yaya Toure and Gervinho delivered standout performances in the first semi-final, scoring a goal each to help send the Ivorians — who lost their last two finals on penalty shootouts — to their third final in the last six African Cups.

Toure, playing at a sixth finals, blasted home a missile-like shot after 21 minutes to give the Ivorians the lead but a handball allowed Dieumerci Mbokani to equalise from the penalty spot three minutes later.

Gervinho had an effort cleared off the line in the 40th minute but the Ivorians won back the ball and caught the Congolese defence cold with Wilfried Bony setting up Gervinho to sweep home less than a minute later.

Defender Wilfried Kanon added a third midway through the second half with a rebound from a corner.

“OK, we are in the final, this is the most important thing,” coach Herve Renard said after announcing his team didn’t play as well as it could have. “The most important thing is to win the final. We try to bring the cup to Abidjan. This is the most important thing.”

Renard guided outsiders Zambia to glory in 2012 with a penalty shootout final victory over Ivory Coast. The Frenchman hopes to become only the third coach after Ghanaian Charles Gyamfi and Egyptian Hassan Shehata to win the Cup of Nations more than once.

Ivory Coast will play either Ghana or hosts Equatorial Guinea in Sunday’s decider.

Published in Dawn, February 6th, 2015

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