Ivory Coast put their unbeaten record at this year’s AFCON tournament in Cameroon on the line when they play Egypt in a round-of-16 clash on Wednesday at 17:00 GMT.
Match Preview
Can Ivory Coast Maintain their Unbeaten Record?
The Elephants of Ivory Coast have been impressive in the tournament, and they will need to be at their best to win against Egypt.
Can Egypt Step Up to get to the Quarter Finals?
With two 1-0 victories in the group stages, Egypt will need to get the best from their attacking talent to enhance their chances of beating the Ivory Coast on Wednesday.
They need to ensure that they can be more dangerous and clinical upfront without sacrificing their solidity.
Form Guide
Ivory Coast
The Elephants qualified from their group stage unbeaten, ending up with two wins and one draw. They scored six goals and conceded three in this run.
Ivory Coast will take their unbeaten record to the round-of-16 match against Egypt on Wednesday.
Egypt
The Pharaohs qualified from their group second to Nigeria; they won two and lost one match in the 1-0 defeat to Nigeria.
Both their victories were by a 1-0 scoreline against Guinea-Bissau and Sudan. Egypt will be hoping to be more prolific against Ivory Coast.
Team News
The Ivory Coast camp reports all their squad are available for the round-of-16 clash against the Pharaohs.
The Egypt camp also reports that they have all their key players available for the clash against Ivory Coast on Wednesday.
Possible Starting Lineups
Ivory Coast
Sangare; S. Aurier, E. Bailly, S. Deli, G. Konan; I. Sangare, J. Seri, F. Kessie; N. Pepe, S. Haller, W. Zaha
Egypt
El Shenawy; O. K. S. Abdel Wahed, A. Hegazy, M. Abdelmonem, A. Ashraf; M. Elneny, A. Al-Sulaya, A. Said; M. Salah, M. Mohamed, O. Marmoush
Players to Watch
S. Haller
The Ajax frontman has been in good form for Ivory Coast in Cameroon. He will need to be at the races as Ivory Coast take on football giants Egypt on Wednesday in the round-of-16 clash.
Flanked by Pepe and Zaha, Haller will be essential in being the outlet of the long ball forward. His hold-up play will be crucial for the Elephants to escape the pressure and pressing of Egypt.
M. Salah
The Egyptian striker, who plays for Liverpool in the English Premier League, has not been at the races yet in the AFCON tournament in Cameroon.
Salah is the leading scorer in the EPL, which shows that he knows exactly where the goal is; therefore, it is a matter of time before the goals start flying in.
The stage is set for him to make an impact for the Pharaohs as they face powerhouse Ivory Coast on Wednesday. Salah will be a crucial weapon for Egypt as they bid to qualify for the quarter-finals.
Prediction
Expect Egypt to dominate possession and territory as they will seek to squeeze Ivory Coast through quick passes through midfield and patient building from the back.
Ivory Coast will seek to compete with Egypt for possession. They will also seek to transition quickly using their pacey wingers – Pepe and Zaha. Long balls to Haller will also be a feature for Ivory Coast with other forwards feeding on second balls.
Given the individual and collective quality of both teams, a draw is the favoured result of this round-of-16 tie, which means it will need extra time, and possibly penalties.
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