We’ll leave you with this …

What an amazing way to finish it. They could not be separated after 90 minutes. They could not be separated after an additional 30. The regular five penalties could not separate them either and it went all the way to the goalkeepers in sudden death. Braimah had his saved by Barry, who then stepped up to score the deciding kick.

Congratulations to Ivory Coast, who are now celebrating wildly awaiting the trophy; commiserations to Ghana, who will no doubt be very proud of their impressive efforts though it may take some time for the feeling of sadness to evaporate. I’m off to enter a dark room. Thanks for reading.

And Barry scores!!!!! IVORY COAST ARE 2015 AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS CHAMPIONS

This is ridiculous. Barry is down and now getting treatment. There is plenty of magic spray on his wrist but it’s his foot which will decide Ivory Coast’s destiny.

Braimah does not look confident and Barry dives to save it. The Ivory Coast keeper sinks to his knees – but he must get up, the destination of the title depends on his penalty kick!

Serey Die the last outfield player to take a kick … Low and in. Time for the keepers …

Round 10! John Boye looks nervous and he just evades Barry’s dive to score …

Bailly with a beauty. And we go again!

Baba now … bottom right corner. Easy.

Kanon, another defender, puts a couple of the attacking players to shame by also finding the net!

Afful is the eighth Ghanain to take a penalty and that’s the best of the lot: high into the top right corner. The tension is becoming unbearable now.

Kolo Toure, who missed three years ago, goes for power and scores this time. We’re going to be here all night!

Badou now for Ghana and it creeps past Barry, who dived the right way. Oof, inches away.

Kalou steps up now. No fuss, sends Braimah the wrong way.

Mensah takes Ghana’s sixth penalty. He slips as he connects with the ball but finds the top right corner.

It could all come down to this. Yaya Toure steps up … and confidently finds the net. Sudden death.

Andre Ayew steps up now and fires it low past Barry.

Doumbia levels it with a piledriver! What drama.

Good grief! Ghana’s Acheampong, who was on the pitch four minutes before the end, slices a left-footed attempt so, so far wide. Unbelievable!

Serge Aurier, who has been Ivory Coast’s star man tonight, strikes a beauty high into the left corner.

Or maybe not! Acquah is denied by Barry. A good save to the keeper’s right.

Tallo, who did not touch the ball having come on in the final seconds of extra-time, steps up and puts it at least a foot wide. A dreadful kick and Ghana must believe it’s now their day.

Jordan Ayew steps up for Ghana’s second kick. He takes a cool run-up and finds the net.

Wilfried Bony steps up and he crashes it off the bar. Oh dear. Visions of the 2012 final, anybody?

Mubarak to take the first kick for Ghana … Left-footed he scores as Barry dives early to his left and the midfielder sends it the opposite way.

Let’s roll out the lottery cliches! Nothing separates them after 120 energy-sapping minutes and the Africa Cup of Nations will be decided by penalties.

120 +1min: Ghana sub as Badou comes on for Gyan – who must suffer nightmares after that penalty miss in the World Cup in 2010 – and for the Ivory Coast Tallo replaces Gervinho – who has a similarly shaky record from the sport.

120 min: Aurier feeds Kalou, who cuts across goal but there’s no Ivorian on hand to have a shot.

117 min: I can’t remember the last time there was some decent football played. It’s been pass, pass, foul or pass, pass, dispossessed for too long. Who reckons they may not even be able to convert a penalty?!

116 min: Acheampong replaces an exhausted Atsu.

114 min: An impromptu water break now. Even the ref is sneaking a quick gulp of water.

112 min: Salomon Kalou is coming on in place of Tiene after the defender brings down Jordan Ayew, who has been very lively since coming on. Ghana free-kick to come after the substitution is made.

110 min: Jordan Ayew fools Yaya Toure in the area and from a tight angle tries to shoot but Kolo Toure blocks. Another Ghana corner to come.

108 min: Gervinho bursts down the left in a rare show of high energy and crosses towards Doumbia but the striker’s touch is dismal and he cannot manage a shot from a very promising position.

106 min: Promising start from Ghana. Mubarak attacks and his ferocious shot from 25 yards is blocked by Tiene. Corner … which is too deep and produces nothing.

A swift turnaround and we have restarted.

Who’s your money on in a shootout?

105 +1min: Eric Bailly is the fourth Ivory Coast player to be shown a yellow card for a clumsy tackle from behind on the fresh-legged Jordan Ayew.

105 min: Yaya Toure’s delivery is taken by Braimah.

104 min: An Aurier cross from the right towards Bony is cleared wildly by Mensah. Ivory Coast have a corner.

102 min: Andre Ayew swings a cross in which bounces 10 yards from goal but nobody is on hand to convert or clear and it bounces away from trouble. Atsu has pulled up, likely with cramp.

100 min: Appiah’s Cup of Nations is over – he is replaced by Jordan Ayew, which is Ghana’s first change.

99 min: Acquah tries to make a splash (sorry!) with a pot shot from 30 yards but it sails well over.

96 min: Atsu strings a tasty pass towards Gyan but he is very narrowly offside.

94 min: We have now passed the 40 foul mark. How many shots on target? One. From Yaya Toure in the first half.

93 min: Baba finds a burst of energy and dribbles down the left but Aurier makes a wonderful diving block. Ghana corner.

92 min: Ivory Coast passing it around midfield but the message remains from normal time: do not make a mistake.

Ivory Coast kick-off. Just watching it is making me sweaty. The players’ shirts are clinging to them, so little wonder the tempo of the game died as the second period progressed.

Extra-time to follow after a tense scoreless draw.The first half was decent but this second 45 has been dreadful.

90 +3min: One more chance? Yaya Toure gives away another foul, sliding in on Mubarak. He wins some of the ball but also takes the man. The free is taken short and then hoofed aimlessly forward and is cleared. Awful.

90 min: There will be three minutes added on. And then 30 more minutes of extra-time, inevitably!

90 min: Aurier has been Ivory Coast’s biggest threat and down the right he sends it in but Braimah is there to block and Doumbia cannot convert the rebound under pressure from Mensah. Aurier puts in another cross from the right seconds later. Braimah comes to save but it slips through his hands. He’s relived to watch it fall kindly and the danger is cleared.

88 min: Mubarak takes it. It takes two deflections – off Tiene and Bailly – and goes out for what should be a corner … but for some reason, despite Mubarak’s protestations, it’s a goal-kick.

87 min: Kanon is booked for a foul on Acquah about 20 yards out. Could this be it?