Senegal and Ivory Coast will go head-to-head in a defending champions vs hosts match-up. Which of these teams will come out on top at the end of this match?
Senegal vs Ivory Coast overview
This Round of 16 match will take place at Charles Konan Banny Stadium in Yamoussoukro on Monday January 29. Kick-off time is 9 pm WAT.
Senegal
Senegal had a perfect record in the group stages, winning three from three. They won the previous edition of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), and will look to defend their title.
Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast kicked off their AFCON campaign with a victory over Guinea-Bissau, but things went downhill from there. After back-to-back losses against Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea, the Elephants needed help in order to reach the knockout stages of this competition.
Due to their disappointing results, Ivory Coast fired head coach Jean-Louis Gasset, bringing in former Nice midfielder Emerse Faé on an interim basis. It'll be interesting to see how they'll fare with a new coach.
Senegal vs Ivory Coast head to head
The first ever encounter between these teams took place in the third-place match of AFCON 1965, where Ivory Coast emerged victorious by a lone goal. That was the first time either team reached the semi-final of this tournament.
Senegal and Ivory Coast squared off against each other on 25 occasions. The Elephants of Ivory Coast have more wins (14) than they have draws (3) and losses (8) combined vs Senegal.
It's also important to note that Senegal lost every time they faced Ivory Coast at the Africa Cup of Nations, and also in the qualifying rounds. They've struggled against the Ivorians in competitive fixtures, with six of their eight wins coming in friendlies.
Senegal vs Ivory Coast potential lineups
Aliou Cisse experimented with three different formations in the group stages; he's expected to adopt a 4-3-3 formation for this match. It's worth keeping an eye out for Sadio Mané, who has a goal and two assists to his name.
On the other hand, Ivory Coast will likely line up in the same formation, with Yahia Fofana starting in goal. The Angers player has a lot to prove, after conceding five times in his last two games.
With that being said, these are our probable Senegal vs Ivory Coast lineups:
Senegal
Goalkeeper: Edouard Mendy.
Defenders: Ismail Jakobs, Kalidou Koulibaly, Abdoulaye Seck, Krépin Diatta.
Midfielders: Pape Gueye, Nampalys Mendy, Matar Sarr.
Forwards: Habib Diallo, Ismaila Sarr, Sadio Mané.
Ivory Coast
Goalkeeper: Yahia Fofana.
Defenders: Ghislain Konan, Evan Ndicka, Willy Boly, Wilfried Singo.
Midfielders: Seko Fofana, Franck Kessié, Ibrahim Sangaré.
Forwards: Christian Kouame, Nicholas Pepe, Oumar Diakité.
Senegal vs Ivory Coast tactical analysis
On one hand, we have a Senegal side that has been unstoppable in recent months. They are currently on a seven-match unbeaten run, and have lost just once in 17 games dating back to mid-January last year.
Cisse's troops kept six clean sheets in their last seven matches, conceding just once in that stretch. Conversely, they found the net eight times in three group games.
This is in contrast with Ivory Coast, who are coming off back-to-back losses. The Elephants saw their defence breached five times in those two matches, whilst scoring no goals.
Senegal vs Ivory Coast prediction
Granted, Ivory Coast have had Senegal's number in the past. However, their recent form doesn't inspire a lot of confidence.
The Elephants will face a Senegal side that won four matches in a row, with 13 victories in their last 17 matches. Not only have they been a difficult team to beat, scoring against the defending champions is a tough task in itself.
While we have no doubt that Ivory Coast will give everything they have to win this match, we don't think it'll be enough to beat Senegal.
Taking everything into account, we are fairly confident that the defending champions will reign supreme after 90 minutes.
Where to watch Senegal vs Ivory Coast live
Fans from Senegal can tune into Canal+, RTS 1 and New World Sport for live coverage of this game.
Meanwhile those who reside in Ivory Coast can catch all the action live on RTI La 3, Canal+ and New World Sport.
