Match Day 2 of the 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) begins today, and all eyes are on the Group A showdown between host nation Ivory Coast and Nigeria.
Pre-Match Facts: Ivory Coast vs Nigeria
Ivory Coast kicked off their AFCON campaign on a good note with a 2-0 victory over Guinea-Bissau. They’ll now be looking to extend their tally to 6 points to secure a spot for the Round of 16.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria drew their opening match 1-1 against Equatorial Guinea where they were tipped to be favourites.
Ivory Coast have only lost one of their last 38 AFCON group-stage games (23 wins, 14 draws).
Nigeria has also only lost one of their last 12 AFCON group stage games (8 Wins, 3 Draws), with their 2-0 loss to Madagascar in 2019.
Ivory Coast vs Nigeria Match Preview
The tournament hosts return to action in Group A match-crunching fixture on Thursday when they face Nigeria at the Stade Olympique Alassane Ouattara.
Ivory Coast would want to secure a win in front of the home crowd to secure a place in the Round of 16 after their 2-0 opening fixture win against Guinea-Bissau with goals from Seko Fofana and Jean-Philippe Krasso.
Nigeria were tipped to be the favourites in their opening game against Equatorial Guinea but the match ended in a draw which came as a shock to some supporters and also to other countries in group A.
African men’s player of the year Victor Osimhen levelled for the Super Eagles just seconds after Iban Salvador put Equatorial Guinea in front from a defensive error from José Peseiro’s men. The Super Eagles had a total of 19 shots (7 on target), with 6 shots from Osimhen. The three-time champions will be going all out with the hope of stunning the host nation and securing all 3 points. A win for Ivory Coast will secure a spot in the next round while a win for Nigeria will mean 4 points for the 2013 champions and hope to secure a Round of 16 if they win or draw in their last group match against Guinea-Bissau.
Ivory Coast vs Nigeria Head-to-Head
This will be Nigeria and Ivory Coast’s eighth time meeting at the AFCON. In their past clashes, The Elephants have won four while the Super Eagles have won three.
Their last AFCON meeting was in 2013. Nigeria won 2-1 in the quarterfinals and went on to win their third trophy.
In three previous AFCON group stage clashes between Ivory Coast and Nigeria, only two goals were scored (0-0 in 1980, 1-0 in 1990, and 1-0 in 2008).
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