The host country of the 34th edition of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations, Côte d'Ivoire 2023, has come a long way in the competition.

As they prepare to face DR Congo in the semi-finals, let's take a look back at a journey filled with obstacles.

Everything had started well on January 13th after a colorful opening ceremony. Côte d'Ivoire didn't falter against Guinea-Bissau (2-0) with goals from Seko Fofana and Jean-Philippe Krasso.

But then, the Elephants faced their first setback. In the group A clash against Nigeria, Jean-Louis Gasset's men struggled and lost the match 1-0.

They needed to bounce back in the final group stage match against Equatorial Guinea, but the Nzalang proved to be even tougher.

The Elephants suffered a harsh 4-0 defeat and were almost knocked out of the competition.

It wasn't until the final group stage match of the entire tournament between Morocco and Zambia that Côte d'Ivoire (3 points) secured a spot as the best third-placed team, ensuring qualification for the round of 16.

Before this second round, the Elephants' coaching staff was reshuffled. Emerse Faé took over from Gasset, who was sacked after the heavy loss to Equatorial Guinea.

Against the title holders Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire showed resilience. Trailing early in the match, Franck Kessié equalized late in the game to send his team to extra time and then to a penalty shootout, eventually clinching victory.

Next came the quarter-finals and a derby against neighbors Mali. The scenario was even more dramatic than against the Lions of Teranga.

Shaken by Odilon Kossounou's red card before halftime and trailing at the start of the second half, the host nation held on and equalized in the 90th minute thanks to Adingra.

Then, in the final minute of extra time, Oumar Diakité delivered a whole nation.

As they face the Leopards in the semi-finals, millions of fans will pray for a repeat of the various scenarios since the Round of 16 for their utmost delight.