CHAN 2022: Ivory Coast with their backs to the wall, Senegal within touching distance of the quarter-finals

Beaten by Senegal (1-0) on matchday one in Group B, Ivory Coast must avoid another defeat or risk an early exit from this 7th edition of the CHAN in Algeria. The home-based Elephants therefore know what they have to do: take all three points against DR Congo, or at worst come away with a draw.

With a few hours to go before kick-off (16 hours GMT), it is hard to call the outcome of this clash, but one thing is certain: neither side will give the other anything. On the Ivory Coast side, coach Soualiho Haïdara is trying to instil calm and confidence in his players so they can go and get the win that would put them back in the mix in this group. " We were aware from the start that qualification would be decided over all three group-stage matches. It was not an admission of weakness, it came from experience. It's true that we are in an unfavourable position with zero points on the board, but the defeat against Senegal does nothing to damage our qualification for the quarter-finals ", said the Ivorian coach.

For their part, the Léopards A’ go into this already decisive game in a slightly more comfortable position than their opponents. Although they did not get the win they wanted in their opening match, Otis Ngoma's men did not lose either against a solid Uganda side. The two teams drew (0-0). But against the Elephants, the Congolese intend to go all out for victory this time. To do that, Otis Ngoma plans to rethink his starting XI, which did not give him great satisfaction in the first match. "We know that some players were not up to the mark against Uganda and we will make a few changes to the starting XI, but I am not going to reveal them here. There will be changes for various reasons, including health-related ones ", he said.

Senegal looking to follow up against Uganda

On their return to the African Nations Championship after 12 years away, Senegal made a good start in Algeria. The home-based Lions beat Ivory Coast (1-0) in their first match in Group B.

Buoyed by that positive result, Pape Thiaw's men can hope for a place in the quarter-finals. But first they will have to get past Uganda on Wednesday 18 January at 19 hours (GMT) in their second match.

It will be anything but an easy game, Pape Thiaw, coach of the Lions A’, has warned. "Uganda have an ambitious team. They are aggressive, especially on set pieces and second balls ", the Senegalese coach said in an interview with Cafonline. He went on: "We are the underdogs. We accept that and we are working to change the situation ".