The Super Eagles pipped the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire 1-0 in the group stage of the tournament and tomorrow they have to outscore the AFCON hosts to lift their fourth continental trophy.
Both teams have undergone remarkable transformation within the four weeks of this tournament.
The Ivorians only sneaked into the knockout rounds through the back door and under a new coach they have fought their way right up to the championship game.
They have shown great mental strength to now be one of two teams who will do battle for the coveted trophy.
The turning point for them was a Round of 16 victory against reigning champions Senegal after a rather forgettable group stage campaign during which they lost to both Nigeria and Cameroon.
Senegal looked very much like champions again after they not only recorded a perfect nine points in the first round of the tournament, but Teranga Lions played with so much conviction that it was difficult to see any team standing between them and a successful defence of their title.
The Elephants have soldiered on with genuine leaders in Serge Aurier, Frank Kessie, Max Gradel and Sekou Fofana, while AS Roma central defender Ndicka has been one of the unsung heroes for host team.
Striker Sebastian Haller has returned to some level of fitness as he proved with his match winner against DRC in his first start.
How will the Nigerian defence fare against this goal poacher in a final that promises to be as open as the tournament itself has been?
The new-manager-bounce has come with fresh beliefs and tactics that they will be a completely different team from the one who fell by the odd goal to the Super Eagles on Matchday 2.
The Super Eagles are now a more settled side after they were pegged back by surprise package Equatorial Guinea in a disappointing opening match.
Coach Jose Peseiro has been given his flowers for coming up with a pragmatic 3-4-3 formation after he could not find a direct replacement for ball-playing box-to-box midfielder Alhassan Yusuf, who shone in a 4-3-3 formation but sidelined by a thigh injury in the process.
The 3-4-3 formation combined with the star quality of goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali have brought the stability and meanness that was so desperately needed in the Nigerian defence.
It has been a system that has given stand-in captain William Ekong a new lease of life as he has stood out like a Colossus in the heart of a rear guard of Calvin Bassey and Semi Ajayi.
By defending literally as a team, the Eagles have only conceded two goals all the way to the Final, talking about a team who even Peseiro had rated their attack as one of the best on the continent.
The team were resilient in a dramatic win over South Africa, which unfortunately caused the deaths of several of their fans watching the game.
Star striker Victor Osimhen has worked his socks off for the team and instead of banging in the goals at this AFCON as we all expected, the 2023 CAF Player of the Year has put his body on the line for Nigeria to be now only a game away from being champions of Africa.
He may not have been clinical as we have known him to be, but he has also been unlucky as he has had three goals disallowed for infringements, including the one against South Africa when VAR drew the action back to Alhassan’s penalty foul at the other end of the pitch.
Should his luck change tomorrow night, the Super Eagles of Nigeria will win both the battle and the war against the Ivorian Elephants.
