Ivory Coast vs. Sierra Leone: Match Preview, Odds & Prediction

Ivory Coast, the reigning champions, will seek to maintain their impeccable record in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers when they host Sierra Leone at the Laurent Pokou Stadium on Friday.

The hosts are presently in the lead of Group G, having earned six points out of a possible six. On the other hand, their visitors are third in the group after failing to win any of their first two matches.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

The Ivory Coast strive to become the first team to win consecutive AFCON titles, following Egypt in 2008 and 2010. In their two qualifying matches thus far, they have easily defeated Zambia and Chad.

Three days apart, Emerse Fae's team secured 2-0 victories in both games, mainly due to the goalscoring prowess of Jean-Philippe Krasso, who scored three times.

Les Elephants have maintained an undefeated streak of 10 consecutive matches across all competitions. They have not conceded in any of their most recent four games since defeating Uruguay 2-1 in a friendly match in March.

Ivory Coast is in a favorable position to qualify for an 11th AFCON tournament in a row, and a score of three points in their next match would bring them close to achieving this goal.

For the tenth time, the hosts will compete against the visitors in Friday's match. In the previous nine editions, the hosts have secured six victories and three draws, with the most recent triumph occurring in January with a 5-1 score against the visitors.

Sierra Leone demonstrated remarkable resilience by recovering from a two-goal deficit against Zambia before losing 3-2 at the Levy Mwanawasa stadium on September 10.

This followed a lackluster goalless draw against Chad in the opening AFCON qualifier for Amidu Karim's team four days prior, which resulted in their sole qpoint to date.

Although this was the Leone Stars' first loss in four matches, they have achieved only one victory in their last eight engagements outside of the new year.

Consequently, they have been challenged to catch up in both their World Cup and AFCON qualifying divisions. However, Sierra Leone is currently preoccupied with the latter.

Friday's visitors must exercise caution to avoid succumbing to another humiliation away from home, as they have conceded 13 goals in their last four matches on enemy territory.

Ivory Coast x Sierra Leone Team News

Simon Adingra, the winger for Brighton & Hove Albion, is currently recuperating from a minor injury and is therefore unable to participate in any capacity for Ivory Coast in this match.

Adingra's absence could have been the most advantageous for Amad Diallo; however, the Manchester United attacker has also withdrawn from the squad.

Jean-Philippe Krasso scored six goals in his last seven games for his club and country, which is reason enough to monitor the forward.

Hindolo Mustapha scored his first goal for Sierra Leone in his second appearance, requiring only 14 minutes from the substitute. He may be eligible for inclusion in the starting lineup.

Steven Caulker, a staple for the away team since transferring his international allegiance from England, is poised to register his 16th cap. He is thirty-two years old.

Our Predictions

Ivory Coast to win and over 2.5 goals @ 1.60 on Sky247.ng

In addition to possessing the superior squad on paper, Ivory Coast is currently in exceptional form, and we anticipate that they will secure a relatively straightforward victory after the 90 minutes.

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