The cheers of the African fans were still echoing through the Fisht Olympic Stadium as Gervinho's jubilant celebration faded into the background. The scoreboard now read 1-1, an emblem of Ivory Coast's resilience and ability to stage a comeback.
As the game restarted, anticipation hung thick in the air. Fans of both teams braced themselves for a fierce battle, expecting the teams to ramp up their attacking efforts and quickly search for the winner. But instead, the game took on a more cautious tone.
Ivory Coast, lifted by their equalizing goal, now adopted a more prudent approach. The memory of Croatia's early goal was still fresh, a brutal reminder of how quickly things could go wrong. So, they remained defensive, opting to weather through the next few minutes without taking unnecessary risks.
