Afcon 2015: Ivory Coast celebrates win with public holiday

Ivory Coast fans celebrated their first Africa Cup of Nations win in 22 years

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Ivory Coast announced a public holiday on Monday to celebrate its dramatic win over Ghana in the Africa Cup of Nations final.

A 9-8 victory on penalties on Sunday night gave the Ivorians their second title, in a repeat of the 1992 final.
The game was followed by joyous celebrations on the streets the country's biggest city, Abidjan.
Ivory Coast's win brings to an end a 22-year drought during which they lost twice on penalties.
President Alassane Ouattara announced the paid holiday on public radio and television after the game.
'Unbelievable' Celebrations in Abidjan went on late into the night on Sunday.
Gozo Maxime Blessing, a 27-year old student, told the BBC that fans had been waiting 23 years for this moment.
"I'm great. I don't know how to express my joy. But this is a very good performance by the Elephants.
"I am happy. I am voiceless. For 23 years, we were waiting for this trophy and by the grace of God we've got it."
The team are due to arrive back home on Monday afternoon, with a celebration planned at the city's Felix Houphouet-Boigny football stadium.
Announcements on local radio requested that fans stay away from the stadium as its 35,000 capacity had already been reached.

Fans, some painted in national colours, gathered in Abidjan to watch the game

Ivory Coast's victory on penalties earned their fans an unexpected holiday on Monday

Celebrations in Abidjan went on well into the night on Sunday

Ivory Coast goalkeeper Boubacar Barry scored the decisive spot-kick to seal the victory against Ghana.
Captain Yaya Toure, who won the Premier League with Manchester City last season, described winning the cup as "unbelievable".
"When you win with your club, it's quite amazing," he said. "With your country, it's unbelievable."
The competition was organised by Equatorial Guinea in just two months after Morocco pulled out over fears of the spread of Ebola.
Morocco was subsequently banned from the 2017 and 2019 tournaments. Its football federation was fined $1m (£650,000) and ordered to pay $9.1m in damages to the Confederation of African Football (Caf).

Boko Haram crisis: Niger to send troops to Nigeria

Niger is expected to contribute 750 soldiers towards a regional force

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Boko Haram

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Niger's parliament has voted to send troops to Nigeria to join the fight against militant Islamist group Boko Haram.

The vote took place after Boko Haram attacked a prison and detonated a car bomb on Monday in the town of Diffa, near Niger's border with Nigeria.
MPs said parliament unanimously authorised deploying 750 soldiers to a regional force battling Boko Haram.
The Nigerian conflict has increasingly drawn in regional states.
On Saturday, Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Benin agreed to establish a 7,800-strong force to fight the group.
Boko Haram launched its first attacks in Niger last week, and has vowed to create an Islamic state.
"The pooling of the efforts and resources of concerned countries will contribute without doubt to crushing this group which shows scorn, through its barbaric acts, for the Muslim religion," Niger's parliamentary speaker Adamou Salifou said after the vote, Reuters news agency reports.
A journalist in Diffa told AFP news agency that at least one person was killed and 15 wounded in Monday's bomb blast at a market.
Suspected Boko Haram militants also hijacked a bus in northern Cameroon, abducting at least 20 people, residents said.
The bus was seized near the border area of Koza and driven towards the Nigerian crossing, some 18km (11 miles) away, a resident told the Associated Press news agency.
The conflict has forced a postponement of Nigeria's presidential and parliamentary elections from 14 February to 28 March.
At least 3.2 million people have been displaced by the insurgency, launched in north-eastern Nigeria in 2009, Nigerian officials.