In a closely contested match in Abidjan, the decisive goal arrived in the 65th minute as Haller’s volley found its way past Leopards goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi, bouncing down into the ground before looping over him.

Borussia Dortmund’s forward, Haller, missed a golden opportunity to break the deadlock just before halftime with an unmarked header, and later squandered another chance to extend the lead with a narrowly missed lob.

DR Congo struggled to mount a late comeback, with Meschack Elia’s volley veering wide of the left post and Simon Banza firing well over in injury time.

Having dismissed Jean-Louis Gasset as head coach prior to the match, Ivory Coast had a challenging journey through the group stage, relying on late goals against Senegal and Mali to advance to the semi-finals.

However, under interim boss Emerse Fae, the Elephants now have an opportunity to vie for their third continental title, having triumphed in 1992 and 2015. They will face Nigeria, three-time champions, in Abidjan on Sunday at 20:00 GMT, as they aim to reclaim African footballing glory.