After serving their obligatory one-match ban for accumulated yellow cards, the quartet of Odilon Kossounou, Oumar Diakité, Serge Aurier, and Christian Kouamé are set to return for Ivory Coast in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations against Nigeria on Sunday.

All four players were suspended for Cote d’Ivoire’s semifinal win over the Democratic Republic of Congo but despite their absence, the team managed to qualify for the final thanks to Sebastien Haller’s 65th-minute goal.

Their return will serve as a boost to head coach Emerse Fae who will be hoping to see the Ivorians not only win their second AFCON trophy but avenge their 1-0 loss to Nigeria in their second game of the campaign. 

Also read: South African club Chippa United hail Nwabali after penalty heroics against Bafana Bafana

According to CAF rules, a player who receives two yellow cards at the AFCON automatically misses the next game. Just like Ivory Coast, all of Nigeria’s players are available for the final.

Nigeria will, however, be looking to do a double over their West African rivals at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium, in Abidjan on Sunday.