In a highly anticipated game, the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is set for what is looking like the first unmissable match as Nigeria takes on the hosts, Cote d’Ivoire in their second group match on Thursday.
The two powerhouses will face off at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
Riding on a winning start the hosts sit comfortably atop Group A with three points while the Super Eagles are third with one point earned from their 1-1 draw against Equatorial Guinea.
The Elephants are unbeaten in their last six matches dating back to October 2023 while their West African opponent registered one win in that period with six matches played also.
Backed by a passionate home crowd, Jean-Louis Gasset’s side are a force to be reckoned with and have now scored 19 goals in their last five games, having hit the Seychelles for nine in a World Cup qualifier in November and also put five past Sierra Leone in their first warm-up friendly for AFCON.
Although both sides are no strangers to each other as they have met on several occasions since 1967, the rivalry has been one to keep an eye on over the last 20 years, especially in an AFCON tournament.
These two sides haven’t met for nine years, but it’s Nigeria who will have the fonder memories of their last AFCON encounter in 2013 — the Super Eagles were on the winning end of a close 2-1 in the quarter-finals, on their way to lifting the trophy.
In six AFCON encounters with Cote d’Ivoire, the Super Eagles have prevailed four times, two of which have been by penalties, and the other two have gone to the home team, with both sides scoring five goals apiece.
At the 2006 edition, Didier Drogba’s 47th-minute goals sent the Eagles to a third-place finish. Then in 2013, Sunday Mba scored the winner to make it 2-1 in the 78th minute helping Nigeria advance to a semifinal and become the eventual winner, which was the last time they won it.
However, the last time they both met was in 2015 in an international friendly in Abu Dhabi where Salomon Kalou’s 84th-minute strike made the difference.
Both sides have injury worries heading for their next meeting, as Ivory Coast were without Sebastien Haller against Guinea-Bissau, with the Borussia Dortmund striker still struggling with an ankle injury.
As for Nigeria, midfielder Alhassan Yusuf was stretchered off against Equatorial Guinea and has been ruled out for this match as a result. The Royal Antwerp midfielder who was handed a late call-up as Ndidi’s replacement enjoyed a strong debut that ended prematurely by injury.
Although, Nigeria still boasts a very strong squad despite seeing another continental campaign impacted heavily from the outset by injuries, they very much flattered to deceive against Equatorial Guinea.
The Jose Peseiro-led team will once again turn to Victor Osimhen for inspiration, with the Napoli striker equalizing to earn his side an opening draw.
The three-time champions face the crucial task of securing all three points to prevent their first group-stage exit since the 1982 edition of the AFCON.
Nigeria, however, can take confidence in the fact that they have advanced to the finals on four occasions out of the six editions where they have faced off against the hosts.
A victory for the Elephants against Super Eagles would qualify them for the tournament’s second round.
In contrast, the Super Eagles must avoid a loss in this encounter as it could jeopardize their AFCON journey, pushing them perilously close to elimination.
MOLATsportgist 