Hull City’s Jean Michael Seri, a pivotal figure in Ivory Coast’s resurgence in the Africa Cup of Nations, has dismissed any notion of seeking revenge as his team prepares to face Nigeria in the tournament final.

The showdown at the Olympic Stadium in Ebimpe follows Ivory Coast’s dramatic journey through the semi-finals, overcoming 1968 and 1974 winners DR Congo, while Nigeria secured their spot with a penalty shootout victory over South Africa. Notably, Nigeria had previously defeated Ivory Coast 1-0 in the group stage, but the Ivorians suffered a shocking 4-0 loss to Equatorial Guinea in their final group game, leading to the firing of head coach Jean-Louis Gasset.

After narrowly advancing to the knockout stages as one of the best third-placed teams, Seri made a significant impact, earning the Man of the Match in the round of 16 against holders Senegal and contributing to victories over Mali and DR Congo in the semi-final under interim coach Emerse Fae.

Despite the recent defeat to Nigeria, Seri emphasized that revenge is not the focus. Speaking to Joy Sports, he said, “We don’t talk about revenge. We want to talk about the final, the fight that we have. This competition is in our own country, so we want to keep the trophy here. We’re going to work on what we need to do to make this game different from the group stage.”

Seri also commended interim coach Fae, noting the positive changes he has implemented. As Ivory Coast aims for a historic victory on home turf, Seri expressed gratitude for having Fae at the helm and praised the coach’s tactical decisions and player selection.

The final promises to be a defining moment for both teams, with Ivory Coast aiming for their third AFCON title and Nigeria seeking to add another trophy to their storied history.