Senegal vs Ivory Coast prediction: AFRICA: Africa Cup of Nations – Play Offs betting tips on match 2024-01-28 20:00.
Senegal more than lived up to their billing as one of the favourites to win the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) by breezing through Group C in imperious fashion. The Lions of Teranga hardly broke a sweat in winning all three of their matches, and as they’ve not lost a competitive match in over a year, there are ominous signs for their title rivals.
Having reached the last two finals of this competition (W1, L1), defending champions Senegal are now bidding to become the first nation since Egypt’s three-peat between 2006 and 2010 to win back-to-back AFCON titles. But as their last 16 tie pits them against hosts Ivory Coast, an opposition they’ve lost twice as many H2Hs against as they’ve won (W5, D2, L10), they’ll be expecting a tough test as the knockout stages begin.
The Ivory Coast are a team in turmoil however, relying on being the fourth-best side among third-place group finishers to progress to the knockouts. After opening their campaign with a routine 2-0 victory over Guinea-Bissau, things have quickly gone pear-shaped for the Elephants after successive defeats, including an embarrassing 4-0 thumping against Equatorial Guinea.
The Ivorian Federation swiftly acted by dismissing coach Jean-Louis Gasset and his assistant Ghislain Printant, replacing them with interim boss Emerse FaĂ© – a man who played 41 times for the Elephants. Raising morale is his biggest challenge here as he looks to guide Ivory Coast to the quarter-finals and avoid suffering back-to-back last 16 exits.
Players to watch: Senegal forward Sadio Mané directly contributed to a goal in each of his side’s three group games, while he was on target in his country’s 2-0 victory over Cape Verde at this stage of the 2021 tournament. Ivorian inspiration may well come from midfield general Seko Fofana, who had scored in three successive internationals before their group-stage losses.
Hot stat: Senegal have kept a first-half clean sheet in each of their last nine matches (W6, D2, L1).