Egypt vs Ivory Coast Prediction
🔊 Which top national team will advance to the semifinals of the Africa Cup of Nations? On January 10, at the Adrar Stadium in Agadir, Egypt and Ivory Coast will battle for the right to be called one of Africa's four strongest teams. The Egyptians are the most decorated national team on the continent, while the Ivorians are the reigning champions. Therefore, it's impossible to define a clear favorite in this matchup. Let's find out who will be closer to success.
Head-to-Head
📊 It might come as a surprise to some, but over the past 15 years, the national teams have faced each other in just one official match. This encounter took place in the Round of 16 at AFCON 2021. Neither side managed to score in 120 minutes, but in the penalty shootout, Egypt proved more fortunate, converting all five attempts (5-4).
H2H Stats Matches and Previous Teams Results
Egypt Team Overview
Egypt have arrived in Morocco as the tournament's second favorites, right behind the hosts. This is somewhat surprising, considering that the "Pharaohs" were knocked out in the Round of 16 during the last Africa Cup of Nations. They came close to a similar fate this time around, as Mohamed Salah and his team couldn't defeat a modest Benin side in regular time, eventually winning 3-1 in overtime.
Despite remaining unbeaten, Egypt have been struggling through the tournament. They needed injury time to secure a victory over Zimbabwe (2-1), barely held on to a win against South Africa (1-0) while down to ten men, and settled for a draw with Angola (0-0), although they fielded a second-string lineup in that match. The one bright spot has been their star player, Mohamed Salah, who, despite being benched at Liverpool, has scored in all three of his appearances in the tournament.
Match Results: Egypt
Ivory Coast Team Overview
Unlike the Egyptian team, the reigning AFCON champions weren't even among the top five favorites for the title. This was largely due to their placement in the so-called "group of death," but the "Elephants" emerged victorious, sharing points only with Cameroon (1-1) and surpassing them on tiebreakers.
In the round of 16, Emers Faé's protégés faced a solid Burkina Faso side and, contrary to many experts' predictions, encountered no issues, securing a resounding 3-0 victory. Amad Diallo delivered another stellar performance, contributing a goal and an assist. The Manchester United star only failed to score against Gabon (3-2), and that was merely because he entered the pitch late in the game.
Match Results: Ivory Coast
Latest news
Egypt
🎙 Egypt's head coach Hossam Hassan after the match against Benin: “It was a very tough game. Before the match, I said there are no easy teams, and Benin proved to be a strong opponent. We focus on analyzing each opponent to adapt our play accordingly. We're saddened by Mohamed Hamdi's injury, which seems serious. We are mentally prepared to play both 90 minutes and extra time. I have faith in my team and my staff, especially the medical team, who ensure good recovery before the next game.”
❌ Mohamed Hamdi's injury isn't the only setback for Egypt. Trezeguet also picked up an injury, and midfielder Marwan Attia will miss the clash with Ivory Coast due to an accumulation of yellow cards.
Ivory Coast
🎙 "Every time we lost the ball, the players reacted immediately. Sometimes they were under pressure and found themselves in tough situations, but they made genuine efforts to win it back quickly. There were plenty of interceptions, duels won, and balls snatched right from under the opponent's feet. This aspect of our game really impressed me. What truly pleases me is that, beyond individual efforts, the strength of the entire team stood out," stated Emers Fae after the victory over Burkina Faso.
❌ Christ Inao Ulai will miss the upcoming match due to suspension, but the 'Elephants' have plenty of options in midfield even without him. There are no injury-related absences within the squad.
⚽️ Goal Prediction
Ivory Coast play with flair and score plenty. However, it seems likely that the Egyptians will drag the "Elephants" into their slow-paced game, leading to a low-scoring affair, similar to their last head-to-head encounter. The significance of the tournament match will weigh heavily on both teams, prompting them to focus primarily on defense. In this context, a bet on under 2.5 goals seems reasonable.
🚩 Corner Prediction
Where Egypt won't hinder their opponents is in allowing them to earn their usual high number of corners. At least, that's our view. Ivory Coast have delivered more than 4.5 corners in their last six Africa Cup of Nations matches and we believe they'll hit that mark again. The "Elephants" are expected to take the initiative, besieging the "Pharaohs'" penalty area.
Editor's Prediction
In summary, we believe that Ivory Coast are the stronger side and deserve to advance to the semifinals. The team continues to improve with each match and has shown much more confidence throughout the tournament compared to Egypt, who have struggled in nearly every game. Additionally, the "Pharaohs" are dealing with significant personnel issues, unlike the "Elephants," whose squad already appears stronger on paper. Therefore, our bet is on Ivory Coast to advance, predicting a scoreline of 1-0 in favor of the nominal visitors.
Betting Tips: Egypt - Ivory Coast
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Comparison of Teams Stats
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