The stadium of Hassan Wattara in Cote d’Ivoire is set to witness a heavyweight clash between the national teams of Ivory Coast, known as “The Elephants,” and Nigeria’s “Green Eagles” at 7 p.m. on Thursday in the second match of both teams in Group A of the Africa Cup of Nations.
Ivory Coast secured a 2-0 victory over Guinea-Bissau in the opening round, with goals from Seko Fofana in the 4th minute and Philippe Kraso in the 58th minute, on the same pitch where they face Nigeria.
Leading Group A temporarily with three points, Ivory Coast aims to claim their second victory, sending a strong message to their competitors about their ambition to compete for the title in the current tournament, hosted on home soil amidst their passionate supporters.
Coach Jean-Louis Gasset cautioned against underestimating the Nigerian team, which drew 1-1 against Equatorial Guinea in their opening match, emphasizing that Nigeria would strive to achieve a positive result.
Gasset urged his players not to be complacent or lose focus, especially considering Nigeria’s attackers’ speed and quality.
He stressed the importance of denying any space to the Nigerian strikers.
The anticipated Ivory Coast lineup is expected to feature Yahya Fofana in goal, with a defensive line comprising Serge Aurier, Ivan N’Dika, Ousmane Doumbia, and Wilfried Singo.
The midfield is likely to include Seko Fofana, Ibrahim Sangare, and Franck Kessie, while the attacking trio may consist of Jonathan Bamba, Simon Edinga, and Haller.
On the other hand, Nigeria did not have a promising start in their first match against Equatorial Guinea, conceding the first goal after 36 minutes.
However, they managed to equalize two minutes later.
Portuguese coach Jose Peseiro expressed his belief that Nigeria deserved a better result than the draw against Equatorial Guinea, emphasizing the need for his players to quickly close that chapter and prepare for the upcoming challenging match against Ivory Coast.
Peseiro called for increased focus and precision in front of the goal, acknowledging that Ivory Coast would not allow many threats to their goal.
