Ivory Coast is the host nation of the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations a.k.a. AFCON. This is one of the main reasons why this national team is second on the list of top favorites to win the title.
However, Les Elephants haven’t been too impressive in this tournament. Is their relatively poor form something that D.R. Congo can take advantage of? Let’s find out!
Ivory Coast vs. D.R. Congo Odds
| Moneyline | Odds |
|---|---|
| Ivory Coast | +115 |
| Draw | +193 |
| D.R. Congo | +310 |
| Points Total | Odds |
|---|---|
| Over 2 | +105 |
| Under 2 | -135 |
8888 players claimed the offer this month
When, Where, and How to Watch?
- Place: Stade Olympique Alassane Ouattara in Abidjan, Ivory Coast
- Date: Wednesday, February 7, 2024
- Time: 3:00 PM ET
- How to Watch: beIN Sports USA
Ivory Coast Needs to Up Its Form ASAP
Ivory Coast started the 2024 AFCON with a 2-0 win over Guinea Bissau, but then went on to lose 1-0 to Nigeria and 4-0 to Equatorial Guinea. By finishing the group stage with just one win, Les Elephants advanced to the knockout stage as the fourth-best third-placed team (out of six). Basically, they booked the last available spot in the knockouts.
But then, they defeated favored Senegal in the round of 16. It wasn’t an easy win, though. In fact, they only won after penalties after 1-1 in regulation. And even the only goal they scored in the 90 minutes of regular time came from the penalty spot – Frank Kessie scored it in the 86th minute.
A similar thing happened in the quarterfinal against Mali. They played with 10 men and were 1-0 down from the 71st minute, but Simon Adingra scored the equalizer in the 90th minute. Then, Oumar Diakite scored the winning goal in the second minute of stoppage time in extra time.
D.R. Congo Looking Good Right Now
This team is without a single loss in this tournament, even though D.R. Congo started its 2024 AFCON campaign with three draws in the group stage – 1-1 with Zambia, 1-1 with Morocco, and 0-0 with Tanzania.
In the first round of the knockouts, D.R. Congo played Egypt. After 1-1 in regulation, Les Leopards won the game on penalties. Then, in the quarterfinal, they had their best performance of the tournament. They defeated Guinea 3-1 with each of their shots on target ending up in the opposition’s net.
Guinea’s players had the ball in their possession for nearly two-thirds of the time, but D.R. Congo’s did great defensively, especially centre-back Chancel Mbemba and left-back Arthur Masuaku, both of whom scored a goal. Congo’s third goal was the work of winger Yoane Wissa.
Ivory Coast vs. D.R. Congo Prediction
If you compare these two, it’s Ivory Coast that has much better players. Plus, Les Elephants play on their turf.
However, they’ve been somewhat unimpressive throughout the tournament, with their creative department looking anaemic at some moments. If the same problem persists, it could be a huge problem in the game with D.R. Congo, whose biggest strength is its defense.