Could Nicolas Pepe fire the Cote d’Ivoire to Afcon glory?

The Elephants were emphatic winners over Rwanda this weekend, and could be genuine contenders in Egypt

One of the results of the final Africa Cup of Nations qualifying weekend that went under the radar was the Ivory Coast’s 3-0 thumping of Rwanda in Abidjan.

Amidst the many subplots of a dramatic few days of football across the continent, this convincing win was a statement of intent from the Elephants.

Indeed, while Africa were focusing on Burundi’s remarkable qualification at the expense of Gabon, Tanzania ending their near-four-decade wait for an Afcon berth, or South Africa and Cameroon winning straight shoot-outs to progress, the Ivorians secured a result that suggests they could be…