Ivory Coast made three changes to their lineup after defeating Democratic Republic of Congo in the semi-finals, all in defense with the recall of Ghislain Konan, Serge Aurier, and Odilon Kossounou. The game started with physical exchanges, with both sides denying each other time and space to settle into any rhythm. The Elephants gained momentum midway through the first half, with Max Gradel breaking through in the box but missing the target.
Ivory Coast’s pressure almost paid off before the interval, but a save by Stanley Nwabali denied them. They were then punished with a set-piece goal by William Troost-Ekong just before the break. The second half saw Ivory Coast starting strongly, and Kossounou came close to equalizing on the hour-mark.
Franck Kessie eventually leveled with a header from a corner just a minute later. With 20 minutes to go, Ivory Coast showed their attacking intent by bringing on Oumar Diakite. Sebastien Haller then gave them the lead nine minutes before the end with a well-placed strike, and they held on to win the game as Nigeria failed to gain momentum in the dying minutes.
With this victory, Ivory Coast secured their third championship in history.