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Equatorial Guinea lock horns against hosts Cote d'Ivoire at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in their final group-stage match of the Africa Cup of Nations 2023 (AFCON) on Monday.
Equatorial Guinea have enjoyed an unbeaten run in the competition thus far and, after playing out a 1-1 draw against Nigeria in their campaign opener, they registered a 4-2 win over Guinea-Bissau on Thursday. Former Mallorca winger Emilio Nsue bagged a hat-trick and Josete Miranda also registered himself on the scoresheet in the second half.
Cote d'Ivoire failed to build on their 2-0 win over Guinea-Bissau in the campaign opener and lost 1-0 to Nigeria in a closely contested match in front of a sold-out crowd on Thursday.
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This is a must-win match for the hosts as a draw would benefit Nzalang Nacional, who would finish in the top two in the Group A table. Having lost without failing to find the back of the net in their previous outing, the hosts are under great pressure to deliver an improved performance in this match.
Equatorial Guinea vs Cote d'Ivoire Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- The two teams have squared off three times across all competitions, with two meetings coming in the AFCON. The 2015 winners have an unbeaten record in these games with two wins and one game ending in a draw.
- The home team have outscored the Nzalang Nacional 5-1 in these games.
- Cote d'Ivoire became the first host country to lose in the group stage of a home Africa Cup of Nations since Equatorial Guinea's 1-0 defeat to Zambia in 2012.
- Equatorial Guinea scored four goals for the first time at the AFCON finals and will look to continue their form in this match.
- Les Éléphants have kept clean sheets in their two AFCON meetings against Equatorial Guinea.
Equatorial Guinea vs Cote d'Ivoire Prediction
The National Thunder have made it to the knockout stage in each of their last three appearances at the AFCON and will look to keep that record intact. They are currently atop Group A standings and even a draw will be enough for them to earn a place in the next round.
The head coach Juan Micha has made only one change to the starting XI in two games as Josete Miranda was handed a start against Guinea-Bissau in place of Jannick Buyla, who played in the campaign opener. Miranda rewarded the manager's faith with a goal and is likely to retain his place in the starting XI.
They are unbeaten in their last 12 games across all competitions and will look to conclude their group-stage campaign on a positive note
Les Éléphants saw their unbeaten run end after eight games on Thursday and they will be gunning to bounce back with a win. Interestingly, the last time they hosted the competition in 1984, they were eliminated from the group stage, so they will look to improve upon that record here. They will need to improve their finishing in front of the goal as they have scored just two goals from 24 shots in two games thus far.
Considering the current form of the two teams and the home team's unbeaten record in this fixture, a low-scoring draw might ensue.
Prediction: Equatorial Guinea 1-1 Cote d'Ivoire
Equatorial Guinea vs Cote d'Ivoire Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Draw
Tip 2: Goals - Over/Under 2.5 Goals - Under 2.5 goals
Tip 3: At least a goal to be scored in the second half - Yes
Tip 4: Iván Salvador to score or assist any time - Yes
