“This year’s Africa Cup of Nations has been packed with incredible nail-biting drama, and we now have a showpiece final ahead of us. Nigeria, who are hoping to win the competition for a fourth time, face host nation and two-time winners Ivory Coast in the deciding game on Sunday night. These two sides already met in the group stage, with Nigeria winning 1-0, and have been on completely different journeys to reach the final. …”
The Athletic
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BBC – Afcon 2023: Kolo Toure hopes Ivory Coast beat Nigeria in final to spark party

Traders at Adjame market
AFCON and juju – an attempt to explain African football and superstition. “Football – wherever it is played in the world – carries a streak of chaos. … Fans can shrug off freak results. But a string of bizarre occurrences often leads to suggestions of something else. At AFCON, that means talk of juju. It is a nebulous and catch-all term, trying to cover an array of practices that do not fit anything found in major organised religions. Be it called juju, voodoo, black magic, muti, otumokpo or something else; there is the idea that AFCON sees players, fans, and even coaches turn to alternate forces to affect games. …”
The Athletic: AFCON and juju – an attempt to explain African football and superstition
BBC – Afcon 2023: Nigeria captain William Troost-Ekong dreams of lifting trophy (Video)
BBC – Afcon 2023: Ivory Coast ‘spirit’ praised after rollercoaster run to final (Video)

A voodoo priest in Benin tries to bring luck to their team at Afcon in 2019.