League star qualifies for Africa Cup of Nations final as Nigeria and Ivory Coast advance

The two semi-finals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations took place on Wednesday, and they proved to be full of drama.

Nigeria beat South Africa 4-2 on penalties, and two more penalties were scored during regulation time in Bouake (1-1 after full time and extra time). The Super Eagles were joined in the final by hosts Ivory Coast, who defeated DR Congo in their semi-final, with Sebastian Haller scoring the only goal of the game.

The results mean that there will be a La Liga representative in Sunday's final at the Stade Alassane Ouattara, and that's Celta Vigo Jonathan Bamba. The 27-year-old will be hoping to help his side to glory.

It was a bittersweet tournament for Bamba, as he only played a handful of minutes overall. He started Ivory Coast's first match against Guinea-Bissau, but has appeared only twice since then, twice as a substitute (vs Nigeria in the group stage, DR Congo in the semi-final).

Image via ISSOUF SANOGO/AFP via Getty Images