AFCON 2023: Cote D’Ivoire Vs. Equatorial Guinea preview
By Ngome Michael
The last time a host nation got bottled out of the AFCON was Gabon, in 2017 when the Panthers needed a win against CECAFA neighbors and eventual winners, Cameroon but failed to get it. The Ivorians won’t want to walk the same path and ruin their own AFCON before it even started.
Final group stage matches at the ongoing AFCON reume this week with well place Equatorial Guinea take on host Côte D’Ivoire at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Ebimpe– Abidjan.
The Elephants looked out of sharp in that 1-0 blowing defeat to Nigeria on Day-2 but can still make amends thanks to opening win over Guinea Bissau. Côte D’Ivoire is regardless well placed to qualify to the next round since four of six best third place teams will advance.
But, for a host country, victory over Equatorial Guinea wil light up her home support and rekindle hopes of a third continental title.
A must-win match for the hosts as a draw will favor Nzalang Nacional, who could end up in the top two in the Group A table. Losing to Nigeria without scoring puts the hosts under some pressure to deliver an improved performance in this match.
Equatorial Guinea come into their last group game heads high after edging Guinea Bissau 4-2 in a historic match for Emilio Nsue who scored the tournament’s first hattrick and became the oldest player to do so since 2008 at aged 34years.
The Nzalang Nacional have a rich Cup of Nations group stage record, with only two defeats in eleven matches at this level in the competition. Côte D’Ivoire has been the better team in previous meetings having two wins as both set to cross paths for a third time.
The Central Africans have made it to the knockout stage in each of their last three appearances at the AFCON and will look to keep that record intact. Current Group A standings backs-up this and even a draw will suffice for them to earn a place in the knockout stage.
Jean Louis Gassett will therefore implore new strategies and perhaps introduce the lights of Brighton and Hove starlet, Simon Adingra and Sébastien Haller unfit in the last two matches but could start against Equatorial Guinea.
