Find out the forecast for the clash between Ivory Coast and Guinea-Bissau in the 1st round of the Group Stage of the African Cup of Nations on January 13th, Saturday, at 5pm, at the Olympic Stadium in Ebimpé, district of Abidjan, capital of Costa do Marfim.
Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast, with an impeccable recent CV, enters the field as the clear favorite in this match. With a streak of three consecutive victories and an unbeaten record in the last six games, the Ivorian team presents a performance that inspires confidence.
Furthermore, the team doesn’t know what it’s like to lose at home for 17 matches, which shows truly remarkable defensive and offensive solidity.
When taking a look at their record in previous editions of the AFCON, Côte d’Ivoire boasts an impressive feat of never having lost in their last 12 opening matches of the tournament, recording seven wins and five draws in that period. This clash will mark the team’s 100th game in the competition, a milestone worthy of celebration for local fans.
As hosts, the Ivorian team automatically guaranteed their participation and, in the qualifiers, took second place in Group H, demonstrating an effective attack with an incredible 16 goals scored in their three most recent games, including an impressive 9-0 victory over the Seychelles.
The commander of the Ivorian team, coach Jean-Louis Gasset, has outstanding players, such as striker Wilfried Zaha and Max Gradel, whose skills and speed play crucial roles in the offensive sector. The expected formation is a 4-3-3.
Guinea-Bissau
Guinea-Bissau, on the other hand, faces a challenge of magnitude. This will be the team’s fourth AFCON appearance since their debut in 2017, and so far, victory has eluded their grasp.
With a record that includes three draws and six defeats, Guinea-Bissau bears the unfortunate distinction of having failed to score in their last seven AFCON games. In the qualifiers, the team qualified as runners-up in Group A, demonstrating resilience by being the only team to take points from the group leader, Nigeria.
However, Guinea-Bissau has shown signs of resilience, especially in clashes far from its domains. Their recent run of five matches without defeat includes a 1-0 win over Djibouti, a 1-1 draw against Burkina Faso and a 6-2 defeat to Mali in an international friendly.
Coach Baciro Candé, from Guinea-Bissau, will rely heavily on players like Zinho Gano and Jorginho, responsible for 55% of the team’s goals in the qualifiers, in an attempt to break their goal drought and achieve a performance that will take them beyond the qualifying phase groups. The expected formation is a 4-3-3.
Furthermore, in the last 5 games, Ivory Coast has averaged 3.6 goals scored per game and 0.6 goals conceded per game, while Guinea-Bissau has averaged 1 goal scored per game and 1.8 goals conceded per game.
Conclusion:
Therefore, Ivory Coast emerge as favorites, supported by a solid record in opening games and the fact that they will host the tournament. Given this, the prediction is that they will win by a margin of two or more goals.