The golden Ivorian generation finally broke a 23 year trophy drought beating a gallant Ghana side 9-8 on penalties after a barren 120 minutes of grueling AFCON final in Bata, Equatorial Guinea.

It was Aboubakar Barry the unlikely hero who lifted the curse on an Ivorian side favored to win many trophies but won none and when he saved the penalty of his opposite number, Barry stepped up with a brilliant kick of glory and left Ghana heart broken.

It was Ghana who gave away a two goal penalty lead and when Ivory Coast came back in, there was no turning back.

Yahya and Kolo Toure all stepped up and converted with grace and glory as did Jordan and Dede Ayew of Ghana but when Ghana’s goal keeper Razak Braimah fluffed his penalty, Barry made no mistake.  

It was a match that served everything football had to offer, except a goal in regulation time and after crunchy 120 minutes of action with few chances created the winner had to be decided on a lottery.

And after 22 penalty kicks which saw goal keepers on either side having their turn, it was skipper Yaya Toure who lifted the AFCON trophy to cap a glowing individual career and to save the Ivorian golden generation from eternal damnation.

The Elephants started the stronger of the two with three successive corners in the opening 10 minutes but Ghana survived the early scare and created chances of their own late on in the half.

Wakaso Mubarak struck a thunderbolt in 25 minutes from 25 yards to beat Barry but the post came to his rescue and Asamoah Gyan was slow to react to the rebound.

Ten minutes later Dede Ayew will hit the other side of the post with a frail shot after latching on a great Baba Rahman pass.

It was a typical desperate West African derby, hugely physical with high flying tackles at times but it was all done with such enduring fondness and in great camaraderie.

Gradel failed to punish a sloppy piece of defending from Baba Rahman when he fired off target in the quarter of an hour.

As if there was less glory in punishing the opposing team for sloppy defending, Ghana’s Kwasi Appiah also failed to capitalize on a horrible clearance from Barry in the 41^st minute.

But it was Christian Atsu who looked promising with his rampaging runs upfield down the right flank but there was no better connection to his crosses.

Gyan who returned to action after sitting out of the semi-final clash latched onto the Atsu cross in the 51^st minute but fired off target.

He had been strong in the air and had won the many air balls but there was little telepathy with his striking partner Kwasi Appiah who, most often, was caught out of position due to defensive duties.

The midfield battle between experienced Yaya and young Mubarak was always exciting with the younger getting the edge on many occasions.

Wakaso Mubarak struck from 30 yards in the 67^th minute but the ball inched just wide.

Three minutes later, Atsu, the tormentor-in-chief, made his way past Tiene and laid a superb ball in which went an inch behind Gyan and could not connect.

The game inched close to extra-time but it was the Ghanaians who lived on tight rope in added time as Aurier raced past Ayew with a lightening pace before whipping in an incisive cross which was parried back into play by Razak Braimah but there was man in orange to connect.

 In extra time it was the Ghanaians who looked like scoring with Atsu controlling a free-kick on his chest with such impudence before advertising a half volley mid-air which whisked just wide.

Gervinho who had been kept quiet for most had the greatest chance in extra time but his first touch deserted him with just Braimah to beat.

With four minutes to penalty there was a rush by both benches to bring in their best penalty kick takers.

And so it went into penalty.

Jordan Ayew and Wakaso Mubarak converted the penalty with such confidence and gave Ghana a two goal lead after Bony and Tally missed their kicks.

It looked like the penalty ghost that haunted the Ivorians in 2006 and 2012 had returned. But when Afriyie Acquah and Acheampong missed in quick successions the Ivorian dream was back alive.

Barry kept it alive with a brilliant save and an even brilliant kick to save the golden Ivorian generation.