African Cup of Nations:



Morocco- Ivory Coast

Togo- DR Congo



Morocco and DR Congo in with a point, Ivory Coast and Togo need to win.



I am not playing on the game in Oyem, Ivory Coast are the stronger team on paper , but have not been happy in conditions here and h2h matches between the two have been traditionally close and very low scoring, with the last ten meetings producing just 15 goals, only one in the two 2016 competitive games. You suspect that Morocco will arrive looking to hold on to what they start with (0-0) and we can hope that they are successful , as Ivory Coast have big potential and could be far more dangerous later in the competition.



DR Congo are one of our two outright teams, having already got Tunisia into the last eight, it would be fantastic to see the other there too. The DRC beat Morocco and then drew 2-2 with Ivory Coast a match which they led twice and ahead of which my notes went an awful lot like this ..........

The DR Congo beat Morocco 1-0 earlier this week , despite playing 30 minutes with ten men and several more with nine (injury after making all their subs) and that was an incredibly brave performance, ahead of which I wrote ..................

We could do with a result here after Tunisia lost their opener yesterday, but their performance deserved more, certainly a goal or two and we should not write them off just yet. Ahead of the tournament I discussed DR Congo who have featured heavily for us in recent editions of the competition and have only lost to the defending champion Ivory Coast in their last seven games at the ACN .............

I have been championing the DRC for several years and they were 3rd at the last championships where we landed several bets and ahead of which I wrote............ The team I like at quoted odds are the Democratic Republic Congo , they did not have much luck at the 2013 tournament in South Africa , where they drew all three group games, including with Ghana and Mali, they are a lot more adventurous now, perhaps too much so at times, but will have learned a huge amount from that tournament and the core of the squad is still together and perhaps seven of the 11 who started against Ghana will feature in the opener this time round, all of those outfield players will be at a "better" age for international footballers now (25-30) and of course, they still have bouncing keeper Robert Kidiaba. They qualified as the best third placed team from a group containing Cameroon and the Ivory Coast and got the vital 9th point, by beating the latter by the odd goal in seven, they have goals in them and whilst this is a team of few stars, they have a good midfield containing Cedric Makiadi of Bremen and Youssuf Mulumbu of WBA, a very solid and fast improving central defensive pairing ( Mbemba and Mongugu) and potential match winners in Yala Bolaise of Crystal Palace and Dieumerci Mbokani of Dynamo Kiev, the latter has always dreamed of a move to the EPL and this is probably his last opportunity to earn one and he will be hugely keen to impress. They will gamble at times, but play a more "modern" style than one or two teams in this competition and have a decent chance in a group where the two favourites have been perhaps a little over rated and Cape Verde are no longer an unknown and surprise quantity, a role the Congolese now hold. The DRC feel that they are at their strongest for a decade and are incredibly focused on this game, having refused to look beyond their opener and the derby game with their neighbour and they know many of their opponents well, especially captain Rainford Kalaba, striker Given Singuluma, midfielder Nathan Sinkala and defender Stopilla Sunzu (180 international starts between them) who all earning their living in the DRC with the biggest club TP Mazembe until last month when two moved on.

The squad is much changed, but have continuity in coaching with Florent Ibenge the longest serving national coach in Africa and some very promising youngsters , however, the loss of Yannick Bolasie is big and the midfield looks a little short handed, but I am not writing them off and think we will see plenty of entertainment in their games and this remains a very together group, which is why I think Ibenge opted not to go with Benik Afobe and Britt Assombalonga, something we discussed ahead of their World Cup qualifier in November. If those three english based players had been with the squad, I guess odds would be half what they are now, but we know they were good before and whilst Bolasie is a big absence, not enough for their odds to be double and this will be as well prepared a group as any at the ACN.

They have moved up almost 100 FIFA places in the last six years, captain Gabriel Zakuani spoke about the influence of the head coach:“Florent Ibenge has been able to bring together and unite players of different styles and ages, he’s played a key role in our strong results. "He’s very close to his players, he follows what we’re up to and stays in constant contact." Zakuani has been involved with the national team since 2005 and he praised the current group: “I’ve had a taste of just about everything with the national team, from Shabani Nonda and Yannick Bolasie to Lomana Lua-Lua and Dieumerci M’Bokani, I’ve also played alongside some top-quality players. "But I’m convinced that the most gifted generation of players is the current one! As well as talent, they have enthusiasm and respect, and there’s a friendly atmosphere within the squad.” They sit top of their World Cup qualifying section and arrive in high spirits and if they qualify from Group C along with tournament favourites Ivory Coast, they could not meet them again until the final.



This game does have a bit of a drawish look about it as neither will want to lose, probably prefering to take their chance in remaining games with tournament favourite Ivory Coast and potential weak link Togo, but I still see no reason why Morocco , who have a poor ACN record should be favoured and good odds against off level ball for DRC has to be taken. The North African nation have qualified for seven ACN's since 2000, they were runner up in 2004 when the competition was held in their part of the world in Tunisia, but in the other six attempts, have failed to make it through the group stage, winning just 4 of 18 starts ( 2 of their last 12). They have failed to score in their two most recent competitive games (World Cup qualifying) and I do think that goals might be an issue for them with very little international experience up top, apart from Youssef El-Arabi and most of his 15 goals have come against "lesser" opposition (12 of 15 versus teams ranked 80 +) and usually when Morocco are already leading (9 of 15). We will, of course , know more about both after today, but coming in, I am not sure that oddsmakers have the right favourite.

Lomalisa Mutambala will be suspended today following his sending off, DRC do not need the win now after picking up all three on Matchday 1, one would be great and leave them in a very strong position to qualify . Ivory Coast will be looking to win and ease the pressure ahead of a meeting with Morocco in their final group start after opening their campaign with a toothless display in a 0-0 draw with Togo and I doubt they can put in as lifeless a performance a second time and, as is the norm at these tournaments, we have seem far more action in the second round of games and I expect that to continue today, with encounters between these two usually being pretty open affairs, with both teams scoring in all six meetings, with each producing at least three goals.

