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Purple Apple with Jon

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Benet. Welcome

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to Abidjan! We are hours away from

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the Africa Cup of Nations Final. Often

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what has been a wonderful tournament. On

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what a special final we have a

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prospect, Ivory Coast, the House against Nigeria

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and are Africa Cup of Nations starts

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a long time ago. Didn't that with

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a preview program one of the guests

0:44

on that day was supposed to invest

0:46

on former Cameroon former Tottenham in Newcastle.

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Defender is packed with us. How to

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be you said? yeah? Yeah, I get

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it as we review the fine I.

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Obviously great great a be tired

0:57

them grade he knows been an

1:00

amazing to the moon is hold

1:02

out there are like the know

1:05

better than you. Know

1:07

that? I guess they have so I think

1:09

it took it so I'm feeling good. If

1:11

we will troll account how many games you've

1:14

done because you be compensated for a Tv

1:16

station the broadcasts across Africa, you must have

1:18

done close to thirty games live. Yeah, I've

1:20

done quite a lot and to be fair,

1:23

I wasn't expecting to do that much. But.

1:25

Apparently he's been alright. So yeah, I'm I'm

1:27

performing a high performance. You give me an

1:29

objective target and I get it done. Your

1:32

nearly there. You're nearly that. So you're You're

1:34

the best person to ask. Is this the

1:36

best possible phone? Or maybe not the best

1:38

two teams on paper? I don't actually think.

1:41

It's. The best two squads as poorly Senegal,

1:43

America but. For. The Neutral: The best

1:45

possible Final: The hosts against another that

1:47

the Giants. Yeah, it's it's it's. a

1:49

great Feyenoord. In terms of you know,

1:52

Following the host nation when you had to

1:54

host nation, being in a final you can

1:56

only be a good final. Good atmosphere is

1:58

going to be amazed. The electric think

2:01

when team get to the final

2:03

risk regardless of what's you seen,

2:05

what we think he means Deserve

2:07

a day for a reason. The.

2:10

Had two different journeys but here

2:12

they are so they better. Make.

2:14

The most of it. Yeah, Yeah, the Ivory

2:16

Coast journey has been. it's been a

2:18

rollercoaster. Isn't that funny? Going out in

2:20

the group stage last sixteen hour minutes

2:23

away from going out of school nights.

2:25

equalizer be Senegal on penalties. It's my

2:27

second some going out the school like

2:29

equalizer. Went on to win with with

2:31

ten men but again still Congo they

2:33

played really well. Suddenly.

2:36

Are they looking at the same? We expect them to be

2:38

at the start of the tournament now that Sebastian I'll as

2:40

up front. And simon, it's Indra

2:42

starting as well that the Bryson winner. Up

2:45

I will. They were both injured when they before that

2:47

sort of. they were both injured bar. For

2:50

me that displays. Displayed.

2:53

Against Ya Congo them better game

2:55

the base game but there weren't.

2:57

As. Good as we can expect them

3:00

to be. See thing they could get

3:02

even better for me that he had

3:04

his room. A massive room for improvement

3:06

is it? But are they going to

3:08

read our high? I don't think so

3:10

because duet have been playing for it's

3:12

the whole tournament think he's been to

3:14

where they were playing. Deduce that is

3:16

managed to go fruits and don't know

3:18

forget that guessing they're that was that's

3:20

an i'm an exam of a know

3:23

them situation to turn around the been

3:25

dead and buried for free days and

3:27

then they came. Back to life you

3:29

do. The fact that neither twenty

3:31

four teams, the fact that there's

3:33

twenty four teams saved him. but

3:35

I think it is what it

3:37

is right now. Seminar.

3:40

General coming back to his forms of

3:42

us. Another thing is getting there as

3:45

well by the focal point focus point

3:47

of from. They. Gave that

3:49

I gave them a leader. different options,

3:51

different options to go by. The final

3:54

think it's it's a good team, they

3:56

good but it's not technically are technically

3:58

that they can. It. The difference for

4:00

me regardless. would you put on a team

4:02

shit it? Atmosphere is the mindset that apps

4:05

that they have been dead and buried so

4:07

they can't do not care of anybody or

4:09

anything. Less. Get more

4:11

on know Simon think we're now is

4:13

what are your friends said? I've been

4:15

catching up with it ways that Johanns

4:17

your own from Arsenal defender in Switzerland

4:19

defend up but he has Ivorian roots.

4:22

he was born here in Abidjan so

4:24

he's going to be at the final

4:26

watching as a fun and he used

4:28

to play with Simon it indra at

4:30

a club in Norway and it's become

4:32

an almost mental a tight say go

4:34

for him. Over the last years of

4:36

a like the speak regulate and Johanns

4:38

been telling me about how how. Far

4:40

Simon can go in his career and also

4:43

how proud he is to say Ivory Coast

4:45

in the fine the roots never actually go

4:47

to stay forever and the yet to be

4:49

as a fireman to see the other guys

4:51

doing it for it's amazing and you know

4:54

have a special connection with the one that's

4:56

and grow that are played. We've been mean

4:58

if singleton and and them for the to

5:00

story when I was they had his hand

5:03

broken and he was so devastated you know

5:05

we just i blame for the first I

5:07

remember speaking through an it in a young

5:09

guy you two thousand. As you gonna gonna

5:11

be a big be stuck on? I just want

5:13

for them. For. Him. For. This

5:16

country. Them. For when the could. See.

5:18

No same at some anything or really. well I'm in in and

5:20

he's. A nice is a real

5:22

star. The same how good is a what's Your

5:24

Personality As a. Similar is the.

5:27

You know what is a typical young guy that wants

5:29

to learn? For. Him was never a question

5:31

of how you know if he was was gonna

5:33

make it. he was. As a given the. The.

5:36

Platform to do. It is hard to put

5:38

limits on whether can do but for me

5:40

is one of those that can I is

5:42

it. He played in the next two years

5:44

for For City are often one all of

5:46

the son of To Because the Seventh and

5:48

on the As. What a great great facility

5:51

The guy works he was to be better

5:53

every day. That is evident to of Guys.

5:55

Sewn. On a great grid person. Could.

5:58

He be the star in the final. I

6:00

hope so, but the thing is, we should not

6:02

forget that he arrived injured, for where

6:05

he's coming from, with that injury, he had

6:07

a fine injury, it's already a good, good

6:09

thing that he's doing. Can

6:11

he be the sign of final if his fitness allows

6:13

him to be? I'm sure he will be. And

6:16

finally, your WhatsApp in my guess, before the final,

6:18

what are you going to say to Simon Adinga

6:20

before the final? Just good

6:22

luck, just good luck. I have nothing

6:24

more to say. The guy knows

6:26

the things about his business, I would just

6:28

wish him good luck. I have his shirt, he

6:30

gave me his shirt yesterday, so I'll make sure

6:32

I wear that, but no, no, just for him

6:34

to win and imagine. That's his first ever African

6:38

nation, and for him to win it would be

6:41

one for the A-srebooks. That is

6:43

Johan Giroud talking about Simon Adinga, the

6:45

young Ivory Coast star, he used to

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play with Johan at a club in

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Norway. Let's move it on, Sebastiobasson,

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to talk about Nigeria.

6:55

From a defensive perspective, you must have

6:57

been really impressed, that back three of

7:00

Trues-Decong, Semir-Jai, Calvin Bassi, only

7:02

considered two goals and only one

7:04

from open play, that is impressive

7:06

in a tournament, isn't it? You

7:08

always tell me, defenses win tournaments.

7:10

Yeah, attacking attackers and attacks win

7:13

games and defend win tournaments. And

7:16

that Nigerian defense has been solid,

7:18

has been honestly performing ever so well,

7:20

but I'm not even surprised, those three

7:22

players play in the UK, they play

7:24

in the UK, so they know how

7:29

to form a really tight defense, but

7:32

I think they're starting on the front foot. When

7:34

you have the momentum, when you feel each

7:36

other, you have that kind of bond with

7:38

one another, with a captain

7:41

like Trues-Decong, which is a leader,

7:43

which is a very calm personality,

7:45

very reliable, and Calvin Bassi, which

7:47

is for me the defender of

7:49

the tournament with the Chancellor Bemba,

7:52

he's having such a

7:54

great tournament, and the

7:57

defense of the three players, they give them...

7:59

you know, freedom to go higher

8:01

the pitch. I mean, it's just, it just

8:04

clicked. So I've been really

8:06

impressed. And I think that's, that's their strength

8:09

people. And you might even be willing to

8:11

talk about Victor Rosimene, which is, which

8:14

is normal, but that defense for me

8:17

is just what they're, what allowed them

8:19

to be in the final. You've

8:21

been a bit upset because my predictions have actually been

8:24

better than yours at this tournament, but- No,

8:26

no, no, no, it hasn't. No, it hasn't.

8:28

Your dark horse is out the same way my

8:30

dark horse is out. It's the

8:32

outcome that matters. Yours was knocked out

8:34

before. But I

8:36

also did say that I didn't rate the Nigeria

8:39

coach and he's completely proved me wrong. So that's

8:41

a prediction I got horrendously wrong. How much credit

8:43

should we give Jose Piscero for

8:45

his organization of this defense? Or is it more down

8:47

to the actual defenders in the team? The

8:50

funny thing in football is Jose Piscero was

8:52

getting so much stick before the competition.

8:54

From me. From you and from a

8:56

lot of people because

8:59

people were, I don't know, looking

9:01

closely to the qualification, the way they

9:03

go through, but it's two

9:05

different competition. What was

9:07

required to go through is

9:10

not what they have been using now because

9:12

it's just the momentum. So

9:15

Jose Piscero at the same level

9:17

that the player deserve credit because

9:20

we were doubting the maybe their

9:22

defense. We were talking about the

9:24

attacking force, which has been prolific.

9:27

But I think the coach has

9:29

to get some credit because he's too

9:31

strong and he kept his ideas, he

9:33

kept his mindset really focused. So now

9:35

he's only getting where he deserves. But

9:37

if you don't get the silverware, if

9:40

you don't get the final, I think it's gonna be a little bit

9:42

sour at the end. Yeah, it's all

9:44

about winning the trophy. Let's get more

9:46

on Nigeria. I've been speaking to a

9:49

Nigerian broadcaster, Oluwatoi and Ibatoya, who used

9:51

to work in the backroom staff with

9:53

the Nigerian team as the media officer

9:55

for five years. So he knows these

9:57

players really well. He knows the inner

9:59

workings. of the team. So he's been

10:01

giving me an insight into what

10:03

it's like behind the scenes in

10:05

that Super Eagle squad. For this

10:07

Afghan, they've evolved. Remember,

10:11

we have had very poor start to

10:13

the World Cup qualifiers at home, for

10:15

Lesotho, one-one, we came from behind.

10:19

We, I think, to Zimbabwe, in

10:22

Rwanda, that was where the game was played, came

10:24

from behind, played a one-out draw. And

10:26

when you look at those games, you see

10:28

a team of talented players who

10:31

are looking for direction, who are

10:33

looking for leadership, who are looking

10:35

for someone to hold them together

10:37

and push them along a particular

10:39

path. And we've seen that

10:42

here. Econ wasn't part of

10:44

those two games. Kenneth

10:47

wasn't part of those two games. Moosa was

10:50

also not part of those two games. So they are here.

10:53

And the first thing they did when

10:55

they got to come for the Afghan was to

10:57

hold the meeting together, all the players, and

11:00

to tell themselves, we have

11:02

to fight. We have

11:04

to give something extra than

11:06

what we've been giving. And

11:09

on the pitch, there's someone to lead them

11:11

in that particular direction. And

11:14

off the pitch, in the team, sets up,

11:16

there's also somebody to speak to them along

11:19

that particular direction. So I think that is what has been

11:22

the difference between what we've seen

11:24

before now and what we've seen at the Afghan.

11:26

You see, all of those players are beginning

11:28

to show what

11:30

we call Nigerian spirit. You see Basi,

11:33

difficult to beat in one-on-one situations. He

11:35

doesn't give up. He fights. He runs

11:37

for the supporters. He charges them up.

11:40

He's fired up. You see Sami Aja'i,

11:42

the same thing at the back, one-on-one

11:44

situations. He doesn't give up.

11:46

He doesn't allow you. He pushes and charges

11:48

and he wins those balls. Then you see

11:51

Ola, I know, on the right side, as

11:53

comfortable as he is on the left side.

11:55

Then you see everybody is pushing. You see

11:57

Uyeka. I mean, we have seen

11:59

Uyeka. We are in a different light now,

12:02

from what we've used to see before.

12:05

He fights, he gives 100

12:07

per cent, Alexi will be everybody

12:09

fighting, look man, Simon. So

12:13

it's now become like a team of fighters,

12:16

a team that is pushing

12:18

together, pulling together, working

12:21

together and trying to achieve a common

12:23

goal. So that's the difference we've seen

12:25

with this art squad. Really

12:27

interesting. Finally, take us onto the bus and in

12:29

the dressing room before the game. Is there singing

12:31

in the bus? Yeah, there's still singing,

12:34

there's still a lot of singing. It's the Nigerian

12:36

thing. You charge

12:38

up your spirit. I mean

12:40

that's what it does. You charge up your spirit, you

12:42

sing, you fire yourself up. And

12:45

those songs are spiritual songs. They are very

12:47

spiritual. They call you for God to help

12:50

you, you are charging yourself, you are telling

12:52

yourself guys, we are going out there on

12:54

the beach to get something

12:56

done. We won't leave until we get

12:58

it done. You know, those kinds of songs and

13:00

then you sing, you charge yourself and then you

13:03

get onto the beach and the only thing on your mind

13:05

is let's get this

13:07

off the ground, referee, let's

13:10

kick off this game, let's get the

13:12

result and let's stamp our authority and

13:15

leave. That's the mentality. You're good at doing

13:17

the job. Oliver Toyin, Iba Toye,

13:19

they're giving us a great insight into the

13:22

inner workings of the Super Eagles team. So

13:25

Seb, how do you think this final is going

13:27

to go? Are we going to have a late

13:29

night? Is it going to go all the way

13:31

to extra time penalties? Unfortunately for us, I reckon

13:34

we're going to have a very, very late night.

13:37

But, you know, a final, I

13:39

think people are going to be really looking

13:42

at each other to start with because

13:44

you can't make no mistakes and the team that's

13:46

going to do the least mistake is going to

13:48

have the better chance to win. On

13:50

the final day, you can't really think

13:54

about tactics, but it's all

13:56

about the desire, it's all about the

13:58

endurance of the mental strength. endurance,

14:00

how long can you maintain that

14:02

focus, how long can you be

14:05

switched on and I

14:08

think Africa has got an advantage because of

14:10

the crowd, the situation and as I said

14:12

earlier what they've been through. When

14:15

you think about it they have been

14:17

through every possible situation so

14:20

they can't, there's nothing that I haven't

14:22

faced and they are home so

14:24

they must be thinking this is our competition no

14:26

matter what because we've been dead and then we're

14:28

there so what can we

14:31

be scared about but on the other

14:33

side Nigeria has been solid

14:35

you know I think they have certainty, conviction

14:38

about the way they play, what they can

14:40

do, it's going to be interesting tactically to

14:42

see who's going to break down first. So

14:46

Vasil Vasong always great to have your company

14:48

thank you very much for more content from

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