The 34th edition of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations commences this Saturday, January 13 featuring hosts Ivory Coast against Guinea-Bissau at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan, at exactly 8:00 GMT .
This marks Ivory Coast’s 100th AFCON game, and the team aims to commemorate this milestone with a formidable performance in front of their home supporters. Notably, Ivory Coast will seek to avoid a repeat of their early exit during the 1984 AFCON, the only other instance they hosted the tournament.
Historically strong starters, Ivory Coast boast an undefeated record in their last 12 opening games at AFCON tournaments, with 7 wins and 5 draws. Recent form underscores their goal-scoring prowess, netting 16 goals in the last three matches, including a convincing 9-0 victory over Seychelles and a 2-0 win against Gambia in World Cup qualification. In a pre-AFCON friendly, they triumphed over Sierra Leone with a scoreline of 5-1.
Despite automatic qualification as hosts, Ivory Coast actively participated in qualifiers, finishing as Group H runners-up ahead of Comoros and Lesotho. They accumulated 13 points from six games, with a draw against Lesotho as their only blemish, and a lone defeat to group winners Zambia.
Having participated in AFCON 24 times, second only to Egypt, Ivory Coast clinched the championship twice in 1992 and 2015, both times defeating Ghana in penalty shootouts. Their most recent AFCON appearance ended in a penalty shootout loss to Egypt in the round of 16.
On the other hand, Guinea-Bissau faces a goal-scoring challenge, having failed to find the net in their last seven AFCON matches, an unprecedented record in the tournament’s history. Their last warm-up game resulted in a 6-2 loss to Mali, where their defense conceded six goals.
Guinea-Bissau secured qualification for AFCON 2023 as Group A runners-up, earning 13 points from six matches, including a crucial draw against group winners Nigeria. This marks their fourth consecutive AFCON appearance, having failed to progress beyond the group stages in the previous three tournaments.
The head-to-head encounter between Ivory Coast and Guinea-Bissau at the Africa Cup of Nations is set to unfold for the first time in the history of the tournament.
Ivory Coast vs Guinea-Bissau Squads:
Ivory Coast:
- Goalkeepers: Charles Folly, Yahia Fofana, Badra Ali Sangaré
- Defenders: Evan Ndicka, Wilfried Singo, Ousmane Diomande, Ismaël Diallo, Sèrge Aurier, Odilon Kossounou, Ghislain Konan, Willy-Arnaud Boly
- Midfielders: Seko Fofana, Jean Seri, Franck Kessié, Idrissa Doumbia, Ibrahim Sangaré, Lazare Amani, Max Gradel, Jérémie Boga, Simon Adingra
- Forwards: Oumar Diakité, Jean-Philippe Krasso, Sébastien Haller, Jonathan Bamba, Christian Kouamé, Nicolas Pépé, Karim Konaté
- Coach: Jean-Louis Gasset
Guinea-Bissau:
- Goalkeepers: Ouparine Djoco, Jonas Mendes, Fernando Embadje
- Defenders: Sori Mané, Marcelo Djaló, Fali Candé, Jefferson Encada, Edgar Ié, Opa Sanganté, Nanu
- Midfielders: Prosper Mendy, Nito Gomes, Dálcio, Zidane Banjaqui, Janio Bikel, Moreto Cassamá, Mauro Rodrigues, Alfa Semedo, Famana Quizera
- Forwards: Carlos Mané, Mama Baldé, Marciano Sanca, Zé Turbo, Carlos Gomes, Zinho Gano, Franculino Djú
- Coach: Baciro Candé