As the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2023 Group B action resumes today, Thursday, 18 January, all eyes will be on Abidjan’s Félix Houphouët Boigny stadium, where the tournament record holders, Egypt, are set to face off against West African giants, Ghana, in a highly anticipated 20:00 GMT kick-off.
Both teams are under pressure to secure nothing less than a victory after experiencing setbacks in their opening matches. Egypt held tight to a 1-1 draw by Mozambique, and Ghana, stoned by a 2-1 defeat to Cape Verde, find themselves in a precarious position in the group standings.
Despite their impressive historical records in the tournament, both nations have struggled to maintain their high standards in recent performances. Egypt’s unconvincing second-half display against Mozambique raised concerns, while Ghana’s unexpected loss to Cape Verde has sparked questions about the Black Stars’ otherwise football nation slogan.
As they prepare to clash for the fifth time in TotalEnergies CAF AFCON history, the pressure is on for both teams.
The previous encounters include three group stage matches (each team claiming a victory, a draw, and two goals apiece) and a final in 2010, which Egypt won 1-0.
With the so-called underdogs, Cape Verde and Mozambique, currently riding high on confidence, both Egypt and Ghana are well aware of the necessity to secure a win in today’s pivotal match.
