ALGERIA look to be on the brink of a disastrous AFCON title defence as Ivory Coast aim to knock the favourites out at the group stages this afternoon. Elsewhere in the group, Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea are both fighting it out to qualify in second place.
Start time: 4pm GMT
TV/Live stream: Sky Sports Football & Premier League
Ivory Coast XI: 23 Sangare; 17 Aurier, 7 Kossounou, 14 Deli, 3 Konan; 18 Sangare, 4 Seri, 8 Kessie; 15 Gradel, 22 Haller, 19 Pepe
Algeria XI: 23 M’Bolhi; 20 Atal, 21 Bensebaini, 2 Mendi 17 Bedrane; 6 Zerrouki; 22 Bennacer, 27 Benrahama, 8 Belatili, 7 Mahrez; 9 Bouncedjah
Sierra Leone XI: 1 Kamara; 2 Kakay, 17 Bangura, 5 Caulker, 3 Wright; 6 Kamara, 27 Diaby; 7 Quee, 10 Ansu-Kamara, 19 Bundu; 28 Noah-Kamara
Equatorial Guinea XI: 1 Owono; 15 Akapo, 21 Esteban, 16 Coco, 11 Nichama; 6 Salavador, 22 Ganet, 8 Machin, 17 Miranda; 4 Bikor, 18 Hanza
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The great wall of Ivory
Ivory Coast frustrating Riyad Mahrez by not enabling the Algerian’s free-kick to get past the wall.
Ivory Coast 0-0 Algeria
3. After a long build-up with the referee Victor Gomes letting the players know they must wait until the whistle has blown before anything can happen, Mahrez smashes the ball into the wall.
What an anticlimactic experience that was.
Ivory Coast 0-0 Algeria – early free-kick in a dangerous position!
2. That wasn’t so smart from Jean Michael Seri who has committed a foul on Baghdad Bounedjah right outside the 18-yard-box.
Riyad Mahrez has picked up the ball and the Algerian has no doubt in his mind what he wants to do.
Ivory Coast 0-0 Algeria
1. The Elephants are favourites to go through this afternoon and many people have them jotted down to win the tournament altogether.
But nobody would have predicted that Algeria’s hopes of defending the AFCON crown would have been riding on their last group game especially as they came into the tournament on a historic unbeaten run.
Kick-off – Ivory Coast vs Algeria
Finally! The highly anticipated match between two successful nations in the African continent is under-way.
The other match in Group E – Sierra Leone vs Equatorial Guinea also has lift off too so we will be keeping a close eye on that match because what happens over at Stade Limbe will have an impact on the result in this game vice versa.
Tunnel vision all around Cameroon
With so much riding on both games, it has built up some serious tension in both tunnels because no player wants to let their nation down.
If only we could play you the noises that are coming out of Stade Jampoma which features Ivory Coast vs Algeria or Stade Limbe who is the hosting Sierra Leone vs Equatorial Guinea because both sets of crowds are certainly fired up.
AFCON round of 16 scenarios
In the African Cup Of Nations, the best third-placed teams out of the six groups can still progress to the round of 16 so it raises the stakes for every team even if they are sitting bottom of their group going into match-day three.
But the most secure spots are of course first and second which is still yet to be decided in Group E and here is who each nation is expected to could face depending on how the table concludes by this evening.
Winners of Group D (Nigeria) vs third place of Group B/E/F
Winners of Group A (Cameroon) vs third place of Group C/D/E
Winners of Group E vs runners-up of Group D
Winners of Group F vs runners-up of Group E
The inspector gadgets are out
It seems as even though I mentioned a bobbly pitch making the football more exciting, not everyone is happy with the conditions of the field.
Sierra Leone vs Equatorial Guinea head-to-head
Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea have only crossed paths six times since data has been recorded but the Leone Stars have been the dominant force in this encounter.
Check out the numbers below:
Sierra Leone wins – 4
Draws – 1
Equatorial Guinea wins – 1
Equatorial Guinea striving for success
Central African country Equatorial Guinea were on decent form entering AFCON 2022 and it is having an impact on their performances in Group E.
Juan Micha’s side won 60% of their matches before the opening game of the tournament winning six in ten across all competitions so when they lost to Ivory Coast last Wednesday, it would have brought the National Thunder back down to Earth.
However, beating Algeria four days ago put them back on track so all they need to do is this afternoon is to collect a point and hope that Ivory Coast do them a favour against the Algerian’s.
Sierra Leone’s poor recent run
The Leone Stars have had an average campaign up to this point having drawn their first two group games when they were expected to have lost at least once by this stage, but John Keister’s men haven’t had the best run of results coming into the tournament.
In their last 13 fixtures across all competitions, Sierra Leone have only managed to secure two victories and one of those wins was irrelevant because they still got kicked out of the competition via an aggregate score line.
All the Leone Stars need to do tonight is beat their opponents; sounds simple enough but when you have only won twice in 13 attempts, then it suddenly becomes a steep hill to climb.
Equatorial Guinea members on command
2 Maye, 5 Anvene, 7 Belima, 9 Siafa, 10 Nsue, 12 Mba, 14 Sam, 19 Nlavo, 20 Eneme, 23 Meseguer, 24 Balboa, 28 Enrique
Equatorial Guinea players to start!
Juan Micha has felt the need to rotate his striking option despite fighting hard to get that shocking 1-0 victory over the current holders Algeria.
Oscar Siafa gets dragged and in steps Hanza
(4-4-2): 1 Owono; 15 Akapo, 21 Esteban, 16 Coco, 11 Nichama; 6 Salavador, 22 Ganet, 8 Machin, 17 Miranda; 4 Bikor, 18 Hanza
Sierra Leone subs if needed
4 Mohamed Medo-Kamara (GK) 8 Fofanah, 9 Williams, 11 Kaikai, 12 Kamara, 13 Kargbo, 14 Buya Turay, 15 Dunia, 16 Sessay, 20 Mansaray, 22 Kallon, 23 Isaac Caulker
Sierra Leone starting lineup paper!
After that fascinating and gutsy performance last time out against the Ivorian’s, John Keister didn’t feel the urge to tinker with the squad too much.
However, the Sierra Leone boss has made the one change in midfield which is Abu Dumbaya coming in for Mohamed Buya Turay
(4-2-3-1): 1 Kamara; 2 Kakay, 17 Bangura, 5 Steven Caulker, 3 Wright; 6 Kamara, 12 Dumbaya; 7 Quee, 10 Kei Kamara, 19 Bundu; 28 Musa Noah-Kamara
Credit: @SLFA_sl
Ivory Coast vs Algeria head-to-head
Overall, the figures between the two huge nations are close in terms of victories. Feast your eyes on them below:
Ivory Coast wins – 8
Draws – 7
Algeria wins – 9
Algeria’s recent run of form
If anybody knows how told go on a run of games without losing it is Algeria because coming into AFCON 2021, the Greens were on a 31-game unbeaten run winning 21 of those including a penalty shootout victory over today’s opponents Ivory Coast.
But eyebrows were raised when Djamel Belmadi’s side weren’t able to capitalise on their 69% possession against Sierra Leone in their opening group game and then things went from bad to worse when they saw their streak go up in smoke courtesy of a 1-0 defeat to Equatorial Guinea last Sunday.
Algeria will be desperate to get the unbeaten run up and going again but it needs to start with a win here and possibly an emphatic one too.
Ivory Coast’s previous 14 fixtures
The Ivorian’s have been in good form coming into this competition and have somewhat continued those performances in their two opening group games.
Despite being denied a second consecutive win in AFCON having beaten Equatorial Guinea on match-day one, they were all over the Leone Stars controlling a large percent of the possession and hitting almost twice as many shots on goal but the one mistake from keeper Badri Ali Sangare proved to be costly.
However, the Elephants still didn’t lose the game which was the silver lining for them once the dust had settled and it meant that Ivory Coast head into this afternoon’s encounter against Algeria on a 14-match unbeaten run.
Ivory Coast players in reserve
1 Tape, 5 Kanon, 9 Zaha, 10 Kouassi, 11 Cornet, 12 Maiga, 13 Boga, 20 Serey-Die, 21 Bailly, 24 Kouame, 26 Cisse, 28 Boli
Ivory Coast team sheet revealed! – Nicolas Pepe makes his second consecutive appearance!
After failing to capitalise on their possession and hold their lead in the previous group game against Sierra Leone, the Elephants gaffer Patrice Beaumelle has decided to make a switch up-top which is Max Gradel coming in for Crystal Palaces’ Wilfried Zaha.
And was forced into brining in Kossounou to replace Eric Bailly whose slight knock permits him to the bench.
But the one surprising element is that, goalkeeper Badra Ali Sangare starts despite rumour circulating that he wasn’t able to feature this afternoon.
(4-3-3): 23 Sangare; 17 Aurier, 7 Kossounou, 14 Deli, 3 Konan; 18 Sangare, 4 Seri, 8 Kessie; 15 Gradel, 22 Haller, 19 Pepe
Credit: CAF_Online
Algeria members to call upon – Former Leicester City forward Slimani only makes the bench
1 Zeghba (GK) 2 Tahrat, 10 Feghouli, 11 Braihimi, 12 Belkebla, 13 Slimani, 14 Bendekba, 15 Boulaya, 19 Zorgane, 24 Chetti, 25 Benyada, 26 Amoura
Algeria first XI is in! – Both of their Premier stars are starting!
Djamel Belamadi has decided to make some alterations from the side who were unable to hold their unbeaten record against Equatorial Guinea last Sunday.
The injury to Benlamri means in steps Bensebaini and Sofiane Feghouli loses his spot to West Ham’s Said Benhrama
(4-2-3-1): 23 M’Bolhi; 20 Atal, 21 Bensebaini, 2 Mendi 17 Bedrane; 6 Zerrouki; 22 Bennacer, 27 Benrahama, 8 Belatili, 7 Mahrez; 9 Bouncedjah
Credit: @LesVerts
Equatorial Guinea’s fully fit team
Similar to his opposite number, Equatorial Guinea manager Juan Micha has a full-fledged team to select from this afternoon as all of his players escaped the 1-0 win over Algeria without set-backs.
The only negative from that match was Olympiacos Volos forward Oscar Siafa failing to have any influence up-top which led to the 24-year-old being hooked off at the interval so there would be no surprises to see Micha not involve Siafa from the start.
No Sierra Leone injury concerns
For all of Sierra Leone’s fight and efforts in their surprise draw with 2x AFCON champions Ivory Coast, the Leone Stars’ gaffer John Keister was fortunate to not see any of his players leave the field with an injury.
Which could mean that it is expected for him to go with the same starting eleven who performed that heroic display four days ago.
In addition to that, Barnet defender David Sessay tested negative twice so we should see the 23-year-old in and amongst the squad this afternoon.
On the flip side, Danish side Randers’ front man Alhaji Kamara was used as a super sub and he fulfilled his duties when the 27-year-old grabbed the equaliser deep into stoppage time so that might have earned him a spot in the first XI this afternoon.
Algeria is in the building
In continuation to Djamel Belmadi’s side, the Greens have stepped foot on the green for the first time this afternoon.
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