Cote d'Ivoire, despite entering the knockout stage as the third-placed qualifiers, have shown resilience to reach the quarter finals of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations despite their shaky start in the competition.
The Elephants face a a big test to their character when they take on the talented Mali side who are keen on making history with their free flowing style of play.
Below are some of the statistics and information on the game:
● This will be the sixth CAF Africa Cup of Nations encounter between Mali and Côte d’Ivoire and the first since meeting in the last 16 in 2019 (1-0 win for Côte d'Ivoire). The Elephants have never lost a CAF Africa Cup Nations match against the Eagles, winning four of their previous five games (D1), while against no other team have they played more often in the competition without losing (also unbeaten in five games against Togo).
● Mali have scored just two goals in their previous five AFCON games against Côte d'Ivoire (conceded nine), against no team that they’ve played more than twice in the competition have they scored fewer goals.
● Mali have progressed from all five of their previous quarter-final appearances at the Africa Cup of Nations, indeed it is the most number of matches any team has played in this round without ever being eliminated.
● Côte d'Ivoire are through to the quarter-finals of AFCON 2023 despite losing two of their last three matches; prior to the 1-0 defeat to Nigeria in their second group game this year, they’d only lost two of their previous 19 games in the competition.
● Côte d'Ivoire have only scored three goals in getting to the quarter-finals of AFCON 2023, the fewest they’ve ever scored in a single edition when playing a minimum of four matches.
● If Côte d'Ivoire were to progress against Mali, the hosts (or co-host) will have reached at least the semi-finals in consecutive AFCON tournaments (after Cameroon finished third in 2021) for the first time since a run of seven tournaments in a row between 1996 and 2008.
● Mali are unbeaten in their last eight AFCON matches since the start of the 2021 edition (W4 D4), conceding just three goals and keeping five clean sheets.
● Côte d'Ivoire have recorded 49 sequences of 10+ passes in open play at the 2023 CAF Africa Cup of Nations (12.3 per match). Over the last five editions, only Cameroon in 2021 (78, 11.1 per match) have made more in a single tournament.
● Côte d'Ivoire have scored from just 5.6% of their shots at AFCON 2023 (3/54), only DR Congo (5.4% 3/56) have lower shot conversion rate among the quarter-finalists, while it’s the worst ratio in a single AFCON edition for Côte d'Ivoire on record (since 2010).
● Lassine Sinayoko has scored three of Mali’s five goals at AFCON 2023 and could become the first Malian to score four goals in a single edition since Freddy Kanoute in 2004 (4).