Somalia vs Ivory Coast - prediction, team news, lineups

Somalia and Ivory Coast volition proceed their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaigns connected Tuesday arsenic they conscionable astatine the Accra Sports Stadium.

The sides got disconnected to contrasting starts past clip out, with Somalia suffering a 2-1 decision to Gambia portion Ivory Coast opened with a 2-0 triumph implicit Ghana.

Match preview

After being crowned African champions connected location ungraded successful 2024, Ivory Coast's bid for back-to-back titles ended successful the quarter-finals of the 2026 AFCON with decision to Egypt, bringing an extremity to an eight-game unbeaten tally successful the contention (W7, D1).

Les Elephants past reached the World Cup knockout signifier for the archetypal clip successful 4 attempts, but that accomplishment was not capable for Emerse Fae to gain a declaration hold aft his woody expired successful July.

Ivory Coast began their caller epoch nether returning manager Herve Renard with a comfy triumph implicit Ghana, opening their AFCON qualifying run successful benignant acknowledgment to goals successful either fractional from Malick Yalcouye, who has made a agleam commencement to the 2026-27 play with Brighton & Hove Albion, and Franck Kessie.

Renard, a two-time AFCON victor - including with Ivory Coast successful 2015 - volition beryllium tasked with delivering different continental title, but the archetypal measurement is securing qualification for adjacent year’s showpiece successful East Africa.

A triumph implicit Somalia successful their first-ever gathering would support Ivory Coast apical of Group C, though the Elephants person struggled successful caller AFCON qualifiers distant from home, having mislaid their past 2 trips to Sierra Leone and Zambia, some without scoring.

Having exited astatine the preliminary signifier of the 2024 qualifiers, Somalia person already exceeded expectations by reaching the main signifier this clip around, defeating Mauritius connected penalties aft a goalless aggregate tie.

Drawn successful Group C alongside Gambia, Ivory Coast and Ghana, the past 2 being multiple-time winners of the tournament, Yusuf Ali’s men are expected to beryllium successful for a pugnacious ride, though they did springiness a decent relationship of themselves en way to a 2-1 decision connected Friday.

The Ocean Stars are 1 of 5 teams seeking a maiden AFCON quality and volition request to assertion immoderate large scalps to basal a accidental of qualification, starting with Tuesday’s clash against Ivory Coast.

Somalia managed conscionable 3 goals successful 10 World Cup qualifiers, finishing bottommost of their group, and that deficiency of attacking menace remains the biggest country for betterment if they are to vie for an AFCON place.

Due to long-standing information concerns and the lack of a CAF-certified venue, Somalia person been incapable to big matches for immoderate time, depriving them of accepted location vantage during qualifying campaigns.

Somalia Africa Cup of Nations Qualifying form:

Somalia signifier (all competitions):

Ivory Coast Africa Cup of Nations Qualifying form:

Ivory Coast signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Bilal Njie’s consolation extremity for Somalia past clip retired was his 5th successful 8 matches for nine and country, making the guardant 1 to watch.

Abdi Sharif was forced disconnected with an wounded successful the last knockings of the decision to Ghana and is simply a uncertainty to diagnostic for his federation connected Tuesday.

Malik Yalcouye had an planetary debut to retrieve arsenic helium grabbed a extremity and an assistance apiece to travel distant arsenic Ivory Coast’s astir influential player.

Kessie’s extremity against Ghana was his 16th for Ivory Coast, the astir of immoderate progressive subordinate and conscionable 2 shy of breaking into the nation’s all-time apical 10.

Still awaiting his archetypal cap, Amadou Kone was an unused substitute past clip retired but volition beryllium hoping to diagnostic here.

Somalia imaginable starting lineup:

Hussein; Othman, Omar, Gigli; Mohamed, Osman, Abdullahi, Abdulle; Hassan, Njie, Abatari

Ivory Coast imaginable starting lineup:

Fofana; Zogbe, Diomande, Ndicka, Konan; Sangare, Kessie; Diomande, Yalcouye, Pepe; Bonny

We say: Somalia 0-3 Ivory Coast

Ivory Coast were superb against Ghana and caput into the Somalia clash afloat of confidence. We expect the West Africans to cruise to a comfy victory.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.