Govt Declares ‘Public Holiday’ Ahead Of Ivory Coast Vs Nigerian AFCON Match

For the sake of patriotism, the government of Ivory Coast has officially announced that Thursday, January 18 will be observed as a public holiday for all schools across the country.

It is important to note that this holiday is coming hours to the upcoming match between the host nation and Nigeria in the 2023 TotalEnergies CAF African Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament.

The government’s decision to declare a holiday, Naija News learnt is aimed at ensuring that the citizens of Ivory Coast, a French-speaking country, have ample time to prepare and show their unwavering support for the national football team, the Elephants of Ivory Coast, as they gear up for the match.

The PUNCH quoted a source from Cote D’Ivoire to have disclosed the information a few hours ahead of one of the most anticipated AFCON matches.

“Yes. All public sectors included. Half working day for banks only,” the source told journalists

Naija News reports that the match between Ivory Coast and Nigeria is scheduled for kickoff by 6 pm Nigerian time.

Recall that Cote d’Ivoire started their AFCON campaign with a 2-0 victory over Guinea Bissau, while Nigeria was held to a 1-1 draw by Equatorial Guinea in their opening game.

History has it that Nigeria and Ivory Coast have met six times at the AFCON, with two wins for each country and two draws.

While a win for Ivory Coast will put them at six points, sitting at the tabletop; a win for Nigeria will earn four total points for the Super Eagles, after its previous draw.

However, until the final whistle on the pitch today, both sides can be unpredictable.