FULL TIME: Ivory Coast 0-1 Nigeria
That’s it! Full-time in Abidjan and the hosts are defeated!
90 minutes: Ivory Coast 0-1 Nigeria
As the clock ticks past 90 minutes, the fourth official holds up the board to indicate NINE minutes of added time!
The home fans roar their approval. Can they summon an equaliser?
Calvin Bassey slides in well on Oumar Diakite and it’s a corner… but nothing comes of it. Then Ivory Coast give away a silly free-kick and ease the pressure on Nigeria.
Haha, finally Nigeria goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali gets a yellow card for time-wasting. He’s been at it a while!
85 minutes: Ivory Coast 0-1 Nigeria
With their final sub, Ivory Coast throw on young forward Karim Konate, replacing Jean-Philippe Krasso.
Oh, Seko. Fofana has a chance to shoot from outside the box but he snatches at it horribly, exhaustedly, and it sails well wide and even further over.
Ivorian fans hang their heads in the stands.
Around 10 minutes left including stoppage time I reckon…
83 minutes: Ivory Coast 0-1 Nigeria
The atmosphere, which has been cooking the whole game, has stepped up another notch.
Every time sub Oumar Diakite gets the ball on the right wing, the tricky youngster, the home fans erupt with excitement.
Now then! Sub Osayi-Samuel of Fenerbahce embarks on a superb lung-busting run down the right, and as the Ivory Coast defence has thinned out as they throw men forward, it’s three Nigerians against two Ivorians.
Ivory Coast mark it well and Osayi-Samuel slightly overruns it, Diakite winning the ball with a perfect Bobby Moore-esque slide tackle.
70 minutes: Ivory Coast 0-1 Nigeria
Nigeria, perhaps conscious of holding onto the lead, have given away a few free-kicks in quick succession.
Calvin Bassey then wrestles Seko Fofana to the floor off-the-ball to stop him pressing the goalkeeper.
Careful, Calvin. Could have been booked.
Then Fofana stands over a long-range free-kick… but balloons it halfway to Yamoussoukro (a city 240 miles away). Goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali points his finger to his head. Calm down, lads.
60 minutes: Ivory Coast 0-1 Nigeria
With an hour gone, the referee is having a stern word with Nigeria goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali over perceived time-wasting. Just a warning for now.
Osimhen, energised by the goal, bursts down the right, plays it across, but Ndicka does well to clear it.
From the throw-in, Ola Aina flings it in but Osimhen, who does really well to get to the ball ahead of his markers, nods it over.
Needed a light flick rather than a powerful header there.
GOAL! Ivory Coast 0-1 Nigeria (Troost-Ekong, 55’)⚽️
55 minutes: William Troost-Ekong steps up for Nigeria and smokes the shot straight into the back of the net as Yahi Fofana leaps to the left.
Nigeria take the lead!
48 minutes: It’s been a slow and steady start to the second half with Nigeria fighting for possession in the middle of the pitch. Bassey is getting slightly further forward but there’s not a great deal of urgency from the hosts who seem content to take their time and build up slowly.
Half-time!
A disjointed end to the first half.
Half-time: Ivory Coast 0-0 Nigeria
Only three minutes of stoppage time
A Nigerian corner falls to Konan on the far edge of the box and the ball sits up for the left-back to drive at goal.
He can’t keep the shot down and it flies over.
There were a lot of stoppages so it’s a surprise that it’s only three minutes added on with the drinks break added in as well.
45 minutes: Ivory Coast 0-0 Nigeria
The defences have restricted the space
The first half of the opening 45 minutes saw plenty of space in behind and down the flanks for both sides.
It looks like the managers have responded to this. The early balls aren’t as effective now.
It feels as though one side needs to put their foot on the ball instead, as the game becomes scrappy.
42 minutes: Ivory Coast 0-0 Nigeria
Handball shout
Nigeria win a corner, and there are calls for a hand ball as the cross is swung in.
The replay shows there was a hand involved – but it was on the end of a Nigerian arm!
30 minutes: Ivory Coast 0-0 Nigeria
Another injury
Troost-Ekong goes down holding his knee after clearing the ball.
Despite the end-to-end nature of the game, there have been a series of stoppages and free kicks.
It has made the match slightly disjointed at times.
25 minutes: Ivory Coast 0-0 Nigeria
Ivory Coast counter and then so do Nigeria
Osimhen goes for an overhead kick but it’s blocked. Ivory Coast counter and it’s three vs three but they can’t slip the ball through from the right and Nigeria clear.
Lookman immediately lays off for Chukweze as Nigeria go straight to the other end and the forward’s shot is deflected wide.
20 minutes: Ivory Coast 0-0 Nigeria
The first big chance
Ndicka was up for a free kick from the second of those Nigerian fouls and a bouncing ball drops to the central defender close to the penalty spot.
The volley is kept down but straight at the keeper, who holds on.
15 minutes: Ivory Coast 0-0 Nigeria
Nigeria corner
From the left the ball is fizzed in, but it goes through everyone.
This is end-to-end already.
A couple of tough tackles come in from Nigeria, but only a word from the ref and nothing more.
10 minutes: Ivory Coast 0-0 Nigeria
Osimhen fires over
Nigeria release Osimhen, but he is at an angle on the left.
The Napoli striker slams a powerful shot over the bar from just inside the area as he tries to go across the keeper.
5 minutes: Ivory Coast 0-0 Nigeria
They are under way in front of a vociferous 60,000 stadium.
The biggest match-up of the tournament so far.
1 minute: Ivory Coast 0-0 Nigeria
The national anthems are complete, and the players are ready to go.
The teams are on their way
Ivory Coast and Nigeria emerge from the tunnel.
The hosts are all in orange while the Super Eagles are in white with green trim.
Can Ivory Coast add to their two AFCON wins so far – and on home soil? Or can Nigeria start to gain ground on the record winners Egypt by adding their fourth title?