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The current African champions, albeit with a remarkably miraculous AFCON triumph earlier this year, are Ivory Coast and they continue their 2025 AFCON qualification campaign with a game against Sierra Leone this week.
KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Friday 11th October, 2024 - UK – 8:00pm / US ET – 3:00pm / US PT – 12:00pm
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – Not televised / US – beIN Sports
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – Cannot be streamed / US – beIN Sports streaming platforms
IVORY COAST PREVIEW: IMPROVEMENT OF LES ELEPHANTS
Earlier this year, at the 2023 CAF Africa Cup of Nations that was hosted by Ivory Coast, sacked their manager at the end of the group stages with a miracle needed to progress. That miracle happened and then Emerse Fae somehow led them to the title.
Since then, Les Elephants have continued to be quite strong and they come into this one on the back of back-to-back 2-0 victories against Zambia and Chad at the start of their 2025 AFCON qualifying campaign.
SIERRA LEONE PREVIEW: GROWING SIERRA LEONE
Coached by Sierra Leone assistant coach Amidu Karim, the Sierra Leone national football team are currently ranked 125th in the world by FIFA. The ‘Leone Stars’ have improved in the last half a decade or so.
The visitors come into this one on the back of a dodgy run of form. Their 3-2 defeat to Zambia in their most recent outing last month means that they have now managed just one victory in their last eight matches.
IVORY COAST TEAM NEWS: KOSSOUNOU DOUBT
Over the last ten months or so, Atalanta defender Odilon Kossounou has established himself as something of a key man for the Ivorians but the former Bayer Leverkusen man is an injury doubt for their game against Sierra Leone.
PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Fofana; Singo, Agbadou, Ndicka, Operi; Kessie, Seri; Diakite, Krasso, Adingra; Guessand
UNAVAILABLE:
QUESTIONABLE: Kossounou (Injured)
SIERRA LEONE TEAM NEWS: NO INJURY ISSUES
Sierra Leone did have to deal with the retirement of experienced defender Curtis Davies over the summer but they do still have a fair bit of EFL pedigree in their squad with the likes of Steven Caulker, Josh Koroma, Sullay Kaikai, Mustapha Bundu and Amadou Bakayoko.
PREDICTED XI (4-3-3): Mo. Kamara; Kakay, Kabia, Caulker, Samadia; Conteh, Sillah, A. Koroma; Kaikai, Mu. Kamara, Kargbo
UNAVAILABLE:
QUESTIONABLE:
IVORY COAST VS SIERRA LEONE PREDICTION
Ivory Coast have often been the biggest underperformers on the African continent with an impressive squad chock full with a lot of depth, especially in attacking positions and the emergence of some new talent but they have become a team that can find a way to win from almost unassailable positions. They now face a Sierra Leone side that have improved but are quite limited in terms of general quality so a comfortable Ivorian win is to be expected for this one.
IVORY COAST VS SIERRA LEONE TIP: IVORY COAST TO WIN