The stage is set for the crucial encounter between host nation Côte d’Ivoire and the Democratic Republic of Congo as they battle for supremacy tomorrow in the semi-finals of the ongoing African Cup of Nations.
RGG News previews both teams ahead of that big game at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan.
Côte d’Ivoire qualified for the semi-finals despite winning only one of their five matches inside the 90 minutes regulation time. After a disappointing group stage, which included a record 4-0 defeat to Equatorial Guinea in their final group match, head coach Jean-Louis Gasset was sacked and eventually progressed to the knockout stage.
Their third-place finish in Group A was enough to secure a spot in the round of 16. Interim coach Emerse Faé has been in charge of their last two matches at the tournament. He’s overseen a penalty-shootout win over reigning champions Senegal, followed by an excellent comeback win against Mali.
Unfortunately for Cote d’Ivoire, match winner Diakité will be missing for this tie after receiving a second yellow card and subsequent red for his goal celebrations in that win.
However, DR Congo’s quarter-final win was less dramatic, defeating Guinea 3-1, although they had to come from behind to seal their spot in the final four. Goals from Chancel Mbemba, Yoane Wissa (penalty) and Arthur Masuaku saw them reach the AFCON semis for the first time since 2015, when they eventually exited at this stage to the Ivorians. That victory over Guinea in the quarter-final was their first win at AFCON 2023 after four successive draws. They drew against Morocco, Zambia, and Tanzania in the group stage before drawing 1-1 with Egypt in the last 16, needing a penalty shootout to advance.
Head-to-Head
This will be the sixth time that Côte d’Ivoire and DR Congo have met at an African Cup of Nations tournament.
Four of the previous five meetings have been at the group stage, but they came up against one another in the 2015 semi-finals – a tie that Côte d’Ivoire won 3-1. Côte d’Ivoire went on to win the tournament following a penalty shootout against Ghana in the final, making it to their second, and most recent AFCON title.
DR Congo and Côte d’Ivoire met again in the 2017 tournament, with the two nations playing out a 2-2 draw in the group stage. Côte d’Ivoire went out at the group stage that year, while DR Congo eventually exited in the quarter-finals.
More recently, Côte d’Ivoire enjoyed a 3-1 friendly win over DR Congo in October 2019 before they drew 0-0 in the group stage of the 2022 CAF African Nation Championship in January 2023.
As it stands, Côte d’Ivoire are the second favourites to win AFCON 2023 behind Nigeria.
