Senegal vs Ivory Coast Prediction: A draw should do at full time

The highly anticipated clash on Monday in the Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 will witness Senegal continuing their title defense against Ivory Coast at Charles Konan Banny Stadium. The victor in this match between African football powerhouses will advance to the quarterfinals, where they will meet the winner of the match between Mali and Burkina Faso.

It has been slightly over a year since Senegal secured a 1-0 victory over the Ivory Coast in the CAF African Nations Championship. They aim for a comparable performance this time, bringing them just three wins away from successfully defending their AFCON title. Despite surprise performances by Equatorial Guinea and Cape Verde dominating the group stage headlines, the Lions of Teranga displayed excellence in their initial three matches, standing out as the sole team in the competition to secure three consecutive wins in the group stage. Their AFCON journey commenced with a convincing 3-0 triumph over Gambia in the first match, followed by a dominant 3-1 win against Cameroon in the second game. They concluded the round-robin stage with a noteworthy 2-0 victory over Guinea. With only one goal conceded in the group stages, the Lions of Teranga boast the joint-best defensive record in the competition. This singular goal also represents the only one they have conceded in their last seven matches across all competitions. Aliou Cisse's team now seeks to extend their winning streak to four in this competition, a feat last accomplished by Algeria in the 2019 edition, ultimately leading them to lift the trophy.

Ivory Coast's AFCON campaign has taken a downturn, and their survival in the competition is owed to Ghana's poor form, allowing them to secure the final third-placed team qualification spot. The Elephants had a promising start with a 2-0 victory over Guinea-Bissau in the opening round. However, they couldn't maintain that momentum, suffering a defeat to Nigeria in the second match. The situation worsened with a surprising 4-0 loss in their final group stage game, prompting the Ivory Coast Football Federation to dismiss manager Jean-Louis Gasset even before the final qualification places were confirmed. Despite the struggles, they qualified for the round of 16 as the fourth-best third-placed team, and interim coach Emerse Fae is tasked with keeping The Elephants' AFCON title hopes alive. While signs point to the hosts facing challenges against the Teranga Lions, history favors Ivory Coast, having won both encounters against Senegal in this competition in 1965 and 1986.

Senegal possible starting lineup:

Mendy; Diatta, Koulibaly, A Diallo, Jakobs; P.M Sarr, Gueye, Camara; I Sarr, H Diallo, Mane

Ivory Coast possible starting lineup:

Y Fofana; Aurier, Diomande, Ndicka, Konan; S Fofana, Sangare, Kessie; Kouame, Krasso, Boga

Senegal entered the tournament as the favored team to defend their title, effortlessly navigating through the group stage. Aliou Cisse's team emerged as the sole squad to conclude the group stage with a perfect record, signaling their determination to the rest of the competition. Conversely, Côte d'Ivoire, with initially high expectations, faced setbacks after their initial victory. Nevertheless, they remain formidable with a lineup of top-notch players and enthusiastic support. Notably, they have prevailed in both past encounters with the Teranga Lions at the Africa Cup of Nations. Despite the anticipated intensity, both teams will exert considerable effort to advance to the next stage. While the match may be more challenging than anticipated, a 1-1 score at full time, with goals from both sides, seems the most likely outcome. However, considering an eventual winner is expected, I believe Senegal has a good chance of advancing to the next level through a penalty shootout after extra time.