Your Web 3 Guru and Moonbet presenting todays match: Ivory Coast – D.R. Congo
Ivory Coast’s rollercoaster ride at this Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is making for one of international football’s all-time great stories. After qualifying from the group stage by the skin of their teeth and replacing their manager mid-tournament, the host nation have come through two gruelling knockout ties, eliminating favourites Senegal before seeing off Mali in the quarter-finals.
Emerse Faé’s men needed a 90th minute equaliser and extra-time to do it though, and with two players sent off in that victory, his squad is far from its strongest ahead of their first AFCON semi-final since 2015. Ivory Coast went onto win that tournament, and as they’ve been successful in three of their last four appearances at the semi-final stage, perhaps the home fans can start to believe the Elephants can lift the trophy.
That would require becoming the first host nation to win AFCON since 2006, and standing in their way are the Democratic Republic of Congo, who’ve reached just their third semi-final since the country was renamed in 1997. Like their opponents, their route here has been far from plain sailing, as after failing to win any of their group matches (D3), the Leopards needed penalties to beat Egypt before cruising past Guinea 3-1 in the last eight.
Perhaps a more comfortable quarter-final – the only match they’ve won over 90 minutes in the tournament – will give Sébastien Desabre’s men the edge as they look for just a second-ever H2H victory at an AFCON finals (D2, L2). Reaching the last four has not been too kind to DR Congo in the past however, losing their last two matches at this stage, including one against Ivory Coast back in 2015!
Players to watch: Ivory Coast captain Serge Aurier scored his penalty in the shootout victory over Senegal, while he also played the full 90 minutes of their semi-final H2H victory back in 2015. DR Congo centre-back Chancel Mbemba also started that day, and he’ll be out for revenge, buoyed by opening the scoring for his nation in the quarter-finals.
Hot streak: DR Congo have not been ahead at half-time in any of their last 11 matches.
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