In Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations final, Ivory Coast will face Nigeria, a replay of their Group A match, at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium.
A lot has transpired since the Super Eagles’ previous tournament victory against the Elephants; the hosts have overcome almost insurmountable odds to gain momentum as they move into the final in Abidjan.
| Top 3 markets | Best odds at bookmakers |
| Nigeria to Win with a Handicap (0): ⚽ | 1.82 at Bet9ja |
| Both team to score: 🥅 | 2.28 at 1xbet |
| Penalty Shootout: ✅ | 4.82 at Betway |
Nigeria and Ivory Coast: Previous Games
As the new campaign got off, Jose Peseiro’s Nigeria played to a 1-1 tie with Equatorial Guinea. Nonetheless, the Super Eagles finished in second place after displaying outstanding defensive stability in their remaining matches, winning by 1-0 against Guinea-Bissau and Ivory Coast, respectively.
The Nigerians made it to the final after a thrilling quarterfinal match against a formidable Cameroon team (2-0), a tight quarterfinal victory over Angola (1-0), and a penalty shootout victory over South Africa. Bear in mind that Bafana Bafana scored a penalty to tie the game and send it to overtime after Nigeria had led to the 90th minute of the contest.
The Elephants’ performance in the group stage was so terrible that they narrowly avoided elimination. Following their win against Guinea-Bissau, the Elephants lost to Nigeria by a razor-thin margin in round two. Then, they went down in flames against Equatorial Guinea in the quarterfinals.
Jean-Louis Gasset resigned as head coach in the face of mounting criticism; Emerse Faé will take over for Gasset in the next playoff matches. The tournament hosts beat Senegal on penalties and Mali in extra time in the knockout round. The Elephants’ semi-final encounter against the Democratic Republic of the Congo was a nail-biter that came down to the last goal midway through the second half.
Probable Nigeria Lineup
Nwabali; Ajayi, Troost-Ekong, Bassey; Osayi-Samuel, Onyeka, Iwobi, Aina; Simon, Lookman; Osimhen
Probable Ivory Coast Lineup
Fofana; Aurier, Boly, Ndicka, Konan; Kessie, Seri, Fofana; Pepe, Haller, Adingra
Betting tips: Nigeria x Ivory Coast
Check out our predictions of the day for Nigeria vs Ivory Coast
Prediction 1: Nigeria x Ivory Coast / Nigeria to Win with a Handicap (0)
Thanks to their heroic play, Nigeria deserves to hoist the title. Unlike their opponents, the Super Eagles have not lost any match, while Ivory Coast struggled in the group stage. Given the odds of 1.82, we will be betting on “Nigeria to Win with a Handicap (0)” for this match.
Prediction 2: Nigeria x Ivory Coast / Both teams to score
It hasn’t been typical for both sides to score in AFCON matches this year. Attack-minded players abound in these two countries.
With star player Haller back in the lineup, the home team has scored in three of their past four games.
The last time Nigeria failed to score in a competitive international encounter was in a January AFCON practice match.
Jose Peseiro’s troops have scored Jose Peseiro’s troops have scored seven goals in six regular games since then.
Prediction 3: Nigeria x Ivory Coast / Penalty Shootout
Because of the stakes, the two teams will likely play conservatively on Sunday night.
The Ivory Coast might replicate South Africa’s strategy against Nigeria under coach Emerse Faé, who hopes to lead his team to penalties.
The home team’s last two elimination matches were decided by extra time and a penalty shootout before their victory against DR Congo. The Elephants have the support of their home crowd and a chance to keep the tie to the final whistle.