Ivory Coast and Lesotho will play the last game in Group E at the Stade Laurent Pokou. Les Elephants will enter the weekend hoping to end the week with a perfect home record. They take the lead in the standings after winning each of their two games in the qualifiers.
Preview (Ivory Coast vs. Lesotho)
Ivory Coast suffered their first loss of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches as a tenacious Zambian team defeated them 3-0 at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium. Chipolopolo took the lead after Serge Aurier’s own goal in the 31st minute. Goals from Patson Daka and Kings Kangwa in the second half capped off a strong team effort. Prior to that, Les Elephants lost to Algeria 1-0 in January. It resulted in their elimination from the African Nations Championship quarterfinals. In March, they defeated Comoros twice in a double AFCON qualification match.
Ivory Coast will host the 2023 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations in January. They have won three of its five games and drawn one, earning a total of 10 points. It is now ranked second in Group H, two points behind first-placed Zambia. After playing two straight away matches, Jean-Louis Gasset’s team will now play at home. They have won five of their past six games overall, with the exception of a 3-0 friendly loss to Mauritania. Lesotho, on the other hand, had their hopes of winning the COSAFA Cup dashed last time out. They were defeated by Zambia by a slim margin of 1-0.
At the King Zwelithini Stadium, 29-year-old Wisdom Moyela made headlines when he scored the decisive goal in the 77th minute to give the Chipolopolo their eighth COSAFA Cup victory. The AFCON qualifications are where Veselin Jelusic’s team will now focus their efforts after another disappointing run that has left them firmly entrenched at the bottom of Group H. With one draw and four losses out of their first five games, the Likuena, who are still trying to make their debut at the continental championship, is one of just seven teams without a victory in the qualifiers. Lesotho has lost each of its last four away games in the AFCON qualifiers since the beginning of 2020.
Team News
Sebastien Haller, Franck Kessie, and the defensive pairing of Willy Bolly and Aurier from Nottingham Forest top Gasset’s 25-man roster for the match on Saturday and the friendly against Mali on September 12. Without Nicolas Pepe and Wilfried Zaha, Christian Kouame, Maxwell Cornet, and Kessie should attack alongside Haller. Ibrahim Sangare, who recently signed a summer transfer to Nottingham Forest, should attack alongside Christian Kouame. The Reims attacker Oumar Diakite may also make his debut after withdrawing from the team back in June. Teenage center back Ousmane Diomande has received his first call-up.
Similar to their hosts, the Comoros have assembled a seasoned team for the match on Saturday. Players like 32-year-old Tshwarelo Bereng and midfielder Lisema Lebokollane making the cut. Once more forming a squad in the middle of the field, Malouzini Lesaoana and Lebokollane should be joined by Thabang Malane, Kopano Tseka, Basia Makepe, and Rethabile Rasethunts. Ivory Coast will be licking their lips as they take on a rival team that has lost all five of their preliminary games. The Black Stars are favorites to win this match because of the disparity in talent and skill between the two teams.
Ivory Coast 2 – 0 Lesotho
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