AFCON 2023: Abidjan living by "win or win" ahead of Equatorial Guinea clash

“Win or win ” goes a local saying. As they prepare to face Equatorial Guinea on the 3rd and final matchday of the group stage at AFCON 2023, Ivory Coast have their backs to the wall. A win is almost a must for the Selephanto. First to secure qualification for the last 16 for good, but also and above all to finish at least 2nd, while waiting for the outcome of the Nigeria v Guinea-Bissau game, and so avoid ending up among the best 3rd-placed sides, which generally means a tougher opponent in the next round.

Nigeria still on their minds

But before looking ahead to the rest of the tournament, the Elephants' fans want to see their team put things right and win with style against Equatorial Guinea. If only to reassure themselves. “Against Nigeria we didn't recognise the team from the first match. We were waiting for this match to show we were ready to keep the AFCON at home, but we saw the limitations of a lot of players. It's as if some of them were scared”, says Yannick Nikoué, near the very busy Saint-Jean crossroads in Cocody. “And then the coach's changes (Jean-Louis Gasset, editor's note) weren't good. He waited too long before putting on more attackers. And even then there were players like Diakité who weren't good. And why did he swap Singo for Aurier after the first match?”, he wonders.

Read more: AFCON 2023: Guy Demel slams Jean-Louis Gasset

While the attack and its build-up play have been singled out by plenty of fans, the returns of Sébastien Haller and Simon Adingra feel like reasons for hope. Both players have been declared fit by the Ivory Coast coach and could start the match. “Krasso had a good game against Guinea-Bissau, Boga too, but Haller is our striker ”, stresses Rodrigues Kouamé, met opposite the Hôtel Ivoire, CAF's headquarters during AFCON 2023. “He's used to high-stakes games. And then there's little Adingra, who can do real damage with his dribbling. With those two and the rest of the team, I can't see Equatorial Guinea beating us. Ivory Coast will win comfortably.”

“If we're knocked out, where will the other teams go to finish the AFCON? ”

For Cheick Koné, met in the well-known Blockhauss district, the idea of an Ivorian exit at the group stage is out of the question. “But if we're knocked out, where will the other teams go to finish the AFCON?”, he jokes, while admitting that such a scenario is mathematically possible, but unlikely in his view. Any fear, however small, of Equatorial Guinea and Emilio Nsue, their rediscovered goalscorer, who scored a hat-trick against Guinea-Bissau? Not in the slightest for this drinks seller sitting in front of his stall.

Yet at kick-off, it is the Nzalang Nacional who will be provisionally qualified with their 4 points already banked, while Ivory Coast will have to go for a win that guarantees direct qualification, without worrying about the Nigeria v Guinea-Bissau game in the other match. But optimism is the order of the day. “We will qualify. The stadium will be full, the lads will play and we will win. Otherwise they won't be leaving the stadium”, warns Abou, a devoted fan.

The Elephants have therefore been warned and know what they have to do to avoid spoiling the party with their fans. Because while a popular local song goes “ we didn't win, but we don't give a f... ”, there is no doubt that for this match, every fan wants only one outcome: victory.