Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast will square off against each other at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2024). Which of these sides will reign supreme at the end of this game?
Equatorial Guinea vs Ivory Coast overview
This Group A clash will take place at the Alassane Ouattara Olympic Stadium on Monday January 22. Kick-off time is 6 pm WAT.
Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea shot their way to the top of the Group A table with a 4-2 victory over Guinea-Bissau. They've amassed four points from two group games, and currently lead the standings via goal difference.
Juan Micha's men will set their sights on all three available points as they meet the AFCON 2024 hosts.
Ivory Coast
On the other hand, Ivory Coast lost to Nigeria's Super Eagles by a lone goal, falling to third on the group table. They have three points from a possible six, with a +1 goal difference.
Jean-Louis Gasset's men will need a positive result from this match if they are to secure a place in the knockout stages of this tournament.
Equatorial Guinea vs Ivory Coast head to head
Interestingly, these teams were paired in the same AFCON group in the previous edition of this tournament. This will be their third encounter at Africa's biggest football competition.
As it stands, Ivory Coast have never lost to Equatorial Guinea. They have two wins in three skirmishes between these teams, with a draw.
Equatorial Guinea vs Ivory Coast potential lineups
Equatorial Guinea are expected to line up in a 4-1-4-1 formation, with Emilio Nsue being the lone forward. The Intercity FC player scored a hat-trick in Equatorial Guinea's last game, and is currently the joint top-scorer in this competition.
On the other hand, Jean-Louis Gasset will likely adopt a 4-3-3 formation, with Angers shot-stopper Yahia Fofana starting between the sticks.
With that in mind, these are our probable Equatorial Guinea vs Ivory Coast lineups:
Equatorial Guinea
Goalkeeper: Jesus Owono.
Defenders: Carlos Akapo, Esteban Obiang, Saul Coco, Basilio Ndong.
Midfielders: Bocari Eneme, Iban Salvador, Federico Bikoro, José Machín, Josete Miranda.
Forwards: Emilio Nsue.
Ivory Coast
Goalkeeper: Yahia Fofana.
Defenders: Serge Aurier, Ousmane Diomande, Evan Ndicka, Ghislain Konan.
Midfielders: Seko Fofana, Ibrahim Sangaré, Franck Kessié.
Forwards: Christian Kouame, Philippe Krasso, Jérémie Boga.
Equatorial Guinea vs Ivory Coast tactical analysis
With their 4-2 victory over Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea extended their unbeaten run to 12 matches. They have seven wins in that stretch, with five draws.
Juan Micha's men have now scored in five consecutive matches, 11 of their last 12 games too.
In spite of their loss to Nigeria, Ivory Coast have enjoyed some fine form lately. They have four wins in their last five matches, losing just once in their last eight games.
Like their opponents, the Ivorians have consistently found the net, scoring in seven of their last eight matches.
Equatorial Guinea vs Ivory Coast prediction
Given that these teams have not lost a lot of games in recent months, it's tough to pick a winner here.
With that being said, both teams have scored more than their fair share of goals lately. While Equatorial Guinea registered at least one goal in 11 of their last 12 matches, Ivory Coast found the net in seven of their last eight games.
Taking everything into consideration, we should expect both teams to get on the scoresheet.
Where to watch Equatorial Guinea vs Ivory Coast live
AfroSport TV and Canal+ will broadcast this match for fans who reside in Equatorial Guinea, while Ivorians can catch all the action live on RTI, RTI La 3 and Canal+ CAN.
