Ghana vs. Ivory Coast: Winners and Losers from AFCON Final

Ivory Coast ended a 23-year wait to be crowned champions of Africa as they won the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations after a penalty shootout on Sunday.

After 120 minutes of often dour football had failed to yield a goal, Herve Renard's side clinched victory thanks to goalkeeper Boubacar Barry—who saved opposite number Brimah Razak's attempt before firing home his own to clinch a 9-8 shootout victory.

The defeat continued Avram Grant's record of being a nearly man in major cup competitions, Ghana's loss all the more agonising as they had rushed out into a 2-0 shootout advantage that looked unlikely to be overcome.

But Ivory Coast held their nerves and clawed their way back into the match, scoring nine penalties in a row to  lift the trophy.

Click on for some winners and losers from the game.

Winner: Boubacar Barry

Themba Hadebe/Associated Press

You can debate long and hard about some of his antics—and you can be sure there will be plenty of pieces written about it in the coming days—but ultimately Boubacar Barry realised the dream of every goalkeeper: To decide a major international tournament for his side.

The veteran, only back in the side after an injury to the usual No. 1 earlier in the tournament, had a generally poor shootout (bar one save, he hardly got near an attempt prior to the denouement) but came up big in the end, denying his opposite number Brimah Razak with a fine save before showing impressive composure to slot home his own attempt to win it all.

The gamesmanship he showed along the way—going down with cramp at inopportune moments, heightening the tension for the opposition—was at best distasteful, especially considering he sprinted off at 100mph after making the winning save, but ask his teammates if they care about the lack of sportsmanship?

The answer will be a resounding no, and Barry is the hero of the hour after some tough experiences in this competition in the past.

Loser: Avram Grant

Themba Hadebe/Associated Press

It was another case of "so near, yet so far" for Avram Grant, an experience he must be getting well and truly sick of during what has become a peripatetic managerial career.

"

Sorry for Avram Grant ... Champions League: runner-up Prem League: runner-up FA Cup: runner-up League Cup: runner-up AFCON: runner-up

— sportingintelligence (@sportingintel) February 8, 2015"

Not for the first time in his career, it was a penalty shootout that left him on the outside looking in—an experience which must hurt all the more considering his side had rushed out into a 2-0 lead that you sensed even the Ivorians thought might be unassailable.

Unfortunately for Grant it wasn't, and his team ended up on the losing side. It was a harsh end for the Israeli, who did a good job to bring together a disparate group into a relatively cohesive, stable side—one that edged the overall play over 120 minutes but could not make the final step.

"I don't believe in those kind of things," Grant said, when asked if he thought he was cursed (per the BBC). "We did practice penalties on the day before the match, but it is not the same as when you take them in front of spectators.

"Both sides had 11 kicks which meant it went down to the goalkeepers."

Winners: The Toure Brothers

Themba Hadebe/Associated Press

After years of heartbreak and near-misses, Ivory Coast's own "golden generation" finally ended a 23-year wait to be crowned champions of the continent.

The result was of particular relief to the Toure brothers, Yaya and Kolo, two stalwarts of the side over the last decade, brilliant players whose quality at club level had previously not translated to the international arena.

Now they are champions, however, their national legacies elevated hugely by this tournament victory. Previously destined to be remembered as underachievers, now they have a tangible positive legacy that no-one can take away from them.

Plus, they have savoured perhaps the most rewarding experience sport can offer.

"When you win with your club, it's quite amazing," Yaya said (per the BBC). "With your country, it's unbelievable."

Toure also praised head coach Herve Renard, another big winner from the night—the former Cambridge United boss surely destined for many lucrative offers after his second Africa Cup of Nations win.

"Without the manager we would have won nothing," Toure added. "He made things difficult for me. He told me if I didn't run he'd kick me out. He's fantastic."

Loser: Andre Ayew

Themba Hadebe/Associated Press

Of course, for every winner there has to be a loser, and the joy and relief the Toures were experiencing was counter-balanced by the unmitigated grief shown by Andre Ayew.

The winger was truly, unashamedly inconsolable after Barry's heroics had sealed Ghana's fate, barely able to walk as he wept uncontrollably through the post-match awards.

With the game offering few defining images during its 120 minutes of play, Ayew's reaction to defeat is what many fans will remember from this tournament. It was a reminder that sport, as rewarding as it can be, is also a very cruel mistress.

Winner: Equatorial Guinea

Themba Hadebe/Associated Press

It was not a perfect tournament (far from it), and there is plenty of controversial moments still to be analysed and waded through, but the hosts nevertheless deserve a certain amount of credit for the tournament they put on.

Circumstances dictated that it was never going to be a perfect tournament but, considering the lack of notice they had, Equatorial Guinea managed to put on the whole show with only minor problems. A commendable effort—although hopefully such a situation is not repeated again for a long time.