The Ebimpe Stadium, also known as “Hassan Ouatara,” in the Ivorian capital Abidjan, is set to host a match between the Guinea national team and Guinea-Bissau on Thursday, January 18, as part of the second round of the group stage in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
The match is scheduled to kick off at 4:00 PM Cairo time, 5:00 PM Mecca time. Guinea-Bissau seeks to overcome the disappointment of their defeat to Ivory Coast in the tournament’s opening, striving for a victory against Guinea Equatorial to keep a glimmer of hope for securing a spot in the next round.
On the other side, the Guinea Equatorial national team, known as the “Thunder of the Nation,” aims to build on the draw against Nigeria’s Super Eagles in the first-round group matches.
They target a victory against Guinea-Bissau, exploiting the clash between Ivory Coast and Nigeria to potentially top the group.
Currently, Ivory Coast leads Group A with 3 points, Guinea Equatorial holds the second position with one point, while Nigeria and Guinea-Bissau stand third and fourth, respectively.
Guinea-Bissau, nicknamed the “Djurtus,” relies on several prominent players, including Piqueti Djassi, a striker for Najran in Saudi Arabia, Mamadi Camara, a player for Reading in England, and Mama Balde, a striker for Olympique Lyonnais in France.
Guinea-Bissau is currently ranked 103rd in the FIFA rankings.
Guided by Juan Micha, Guinea Equatorial, boasting several standout players led by team captain Emilio Nsue and Saul Coco, a player for Las Palmas in Spain, aims to spring a surprise and secure qualification to the next round at the expense of Ivory Coast and Nigeria.
