Côte d'Ivoire's journey to the African Cup of Nations has been like a phoenix rising from the ashes of a stuttering group stage to the hosts advancing to the last eight, successfully transforming into the heroes of the tournament.
Despite a vacant managerial post, Côte d'Ivoire had a close call in the group stage and the stadium was filled with dissatisfaction with the team's performance. However, in the Round of 16, they not only fought back against defending champions Senegal, but also won the penalty shootout. With the return of goal-scorer Schwartzenegger, the team's offensive power is expected to be improved. He is expected to make his debut in this match, solving the urgent problem of the team's weak forward line.
Kissell had an eye-catching performance against Senegal, coming on as a substitute and controlling the tempo of the game, scoring a penalty to equalize at a crucial moment and eventually scoring the winning goal in the penalty shootout. This performance proved that he is able to keep his composure in a pressure game and he is expected to start again with confidence from the Ivory Coast fans.
Mali, the dark horses of the tournament, with their indomitable spirit, will once again challenge Côte d'Ivoire. They have lost only one of their last 18 matches and have conceded only two goals in the entire Afcon campaign, one of which came from a penalty kick. They have a star-studded squad that includes players such as Hammarskjöld Marichael and Bissouma, who is out with an injury and the team is expecting him to be back in time. Mali have made it to the last eight on four previous occasions and are expected to continue their unbeaten run in their fifth challenge, eliminating the hosts as dark horses.
Cape Verde, a team that is participating in the final week for the fourth time in its history, advanced to the last eight with an impressive performance. A win over South Africa would see them advance to the quarterfinals for the first time. Cape Verde's key strength is its ability to score when it counts, with eight goals so far, the third most of any team. It is worth noting that the "Blue Sharks" are led by two veterans, Bibi and Vendice, who are nearly 35 years old and whose experience is crucial to the team.
South Africa, a team that had been considered favorites to win the tournament, surprisingly beat Morocco in the Round of 16 after making it out of the group stage. The strength of their defense has been the key, keeping no goal conceded in three matches of the Afcon tournament, and the tacit understanding between teammates in the backline has been the key to winning the match. Against Cape Verde, South Africa are expected to show the strength of their defense once again.
