FootyDream

Black Stars skipper Andre Ayew says the Black Stars are no longer the heavyweights they used to be on the continent and it’s high time they accepted that ahead of the start of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Ghana will be in Ivory Coast for their 23rd AFCON appearance since the inception of the tournament in 1957. The Black Stars have won the competition on four occasions but have failed to lift it since last doing so in 1982.

Ghana’s last appearance in the final of the continental showpiece came in 2015 when they lost on penalties to Ivory Coast. They have also failed to make it out of the group stage in the last two major tournaments.

Ahead of the first game, the side’s skipper has asked Ghanaians to accept the reality that the team is far from its best.

“We gave everything we had in the World Cup [in Qatar]. We’re working really hard and prepared for Cape Verde,” he told the press.

“We used to be favourites but now we’re not part of the favourites. We need to accept it and work hard.”

Despite the quality of players in Ghana’s team, the Black Stars are behind in terms of teams likely to win the 34th edition of the AFCON.

Ayew says that could be an advantage for the team.

“We’ve seen a lot of teams who were not expected to win the AFCON and they won it. We’ve seen teams expected to win it,” he added,

“AFCON is unpredictable and that’s an open door we need to slide in. We will give our best.”

Ghana will begin their campaign in Ivory Coast on Sunday, January 14, when they face Cape Verde before subsequently playing Egypt and Mozambique.

Africa’s biggest event, TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2023 will kick-off at Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Ebimpe at 20h00 GMT.

The opening match will be live in over 170 territories globally – making it one of the biggest events in international sport. Tickets for the match between hosts, Cote d’Ivoire and Guinea Bissau have been sold out.

The opening ceremony of the competition will start at 18h00 GMT (20h00 Cairo, 21h00 Nairobi, 19h00 Casablanca).

Football fans in Africa, Asia, Europe, South America, North America, South Pacific and the Caribbeans will be able to follow all the action live. Over 110 broadcasters have concluded the rights for the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2023.

The TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2023 is the biggest sporting event in Africa.

Below are the official CAF broadcast partners set to beam the action live:  

BeIN Sport

CANAL+

New World TV

StarTimes

SuperSport

Africa Free to Air (FTA)

EPTV (Algeria)

GBC – Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (Ghana)

AfroSport (Nigeria)

TBC – Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (Tanzania)

Target TV  (Tanzania)     

Africa Media Group (Tanzania) 

AZAM Media (Tanzania)

SABC – South African Broadcasting Corporation (South Africa)

Eswatini TV (Eswatini)

Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (Uganda)

TV Tele Congo (Congo)

RadioTelevision Gabon Group (Gabon)

RTNC – Radio Television Nationale Congolaise (DR Congo)

ZNBC/Diamond TV-Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (Zambia)

CRTV/Canal 2 – Cameroon Radio Television (Cameroon)

TPA – Televisão Pública de Angola (Angola)

ZBC – Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation  (Zimbabwe)

Chad  (Chad)

Gambia Radio and Television Services (The Gambia)

Radiodiffusion Télévision Guinéènne (Guinea)

Botswana – DBS (Botswana)

Mashariki TV (Burundi)

Televisao de Moçambique (Mozambique)

NBC – Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (Namibia)

RNA – Radio Nacional Angola (Angola)

KBC – Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (Kenya)

Radiotelevisão Caboverdiana (Cape Verde)

Televisión de Guinea Ecuatoria (Equatorial Guinea),

EPTV – Public Establishment of Television     (Algeria)

Botswana Television (Botswana)        

YMH Group (Botswana)

New World (Togo)

Europe

BeIN Sport

CANAL+

Sky Sports

BBC

Okko

Ziggo

Sport Digital

Sport Italia

RMC (Radio)

A1

Megogo

Saran

Joyn – Puls 24

Art Motion/Art Sport

Silknet

Viaplay

Sport5

Sport TV Portugal       

LaLiga+

Sport Klub

RTBF

Asia

BeIN Sport (MENA)

BeIN Asia

FanCode

Americas

BeIN US

WINNERS SPORTS

Band TV

Sports Max in the Caribbean  

Source: CAF

Ivory coast begin their bid for a third Africa Cup of Nations crown when they take on Guinea-Bissau in the tournament’s opening game at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium on Saturday.

The tournament hosts are favourites to top Group A, while the Djurtus seek group-stage progress for the first time.

Match preview

The pressure is on Jean-Louis Gasset‘s Elephants when they take to the field on Saturday as AFCON 2023 commences, keen to impose themselves against Guinea-Bissau.

The West African side partook in qualifying despite being assured of a spot at the finals, finishing second after ending level with Zambia on 13 points, winning four of their six games (one loss).

Ivory Coast have group-stage history on their side, having progressed from that phase in eight of the previous nine times they have played at the Cup of Nations, and they seek to boost their prospects of making it nine in 10 with a strong showing against Guinea-Bissau.

Gasset’s troops wiped the floor with Sierra Leone in their tune-up game, claiming a 5-1 victory over the Leone Stars last weekend, as they impressed with their decisive execution in the final third.

Carrying that form into Saturday’s AFCON opener with the expectant home support is anyone’s guess, but their goalscoring form at least gives the Elephants reason to be optimistic in the lead-up to facing Guinea-Bissau.

As for the Djurtus, they aim to progress from the group stage for the first time at the fourth time of asking, having failed to play a fourth game at the continental showpiece in the past three tournaments.

Part of that process includes winning their first game at the finals, a feat they have not managed despite playing nine times in 2017, 2019 and 2021.

Even though Baciro Cande‘s men ended second in their qualifying group, the Djurtus secured a shock victory over Nigeria in the latter’s home, and they could pick up another positive result against the Super Eagles at AFCON 2023.

First, they must battle the host nation, hoping to frustrate the Elephants and take their counter-attacking opportunities and set-piece chances on Saturday.

However, it is easier said than done for Guinea-Bissau, who sit 54 places below the Ivory Coast in FIFA’s rankings heading into the competition.

Ivory Coast form (all competitions):

WDDWWW

Guinea-Bissau form (all competition):

WWLDWL

Team News

Simon Adingra and Sebastien Haller are in the wars and may not start the Elephants’ first game of the competition.

Household names like Eric Bailly, Wilfried Zaha and Nicolas Pepe are not part of the Ivory Coast group aiming to win the nation’s third African title.

Despite the absences, the hosts’ midfield — comprising Franck Kessie, Seko Fofana and Ibrahim Sangare — should help to dominate the game against possibly passive opponents.

Cande typically utilises a 4-3-3 but tends to alter that approach for a back three against superior opponents, which is anticipated against Ivory Coast on Saturday.

Mama Balde is expected to lead the line, and the unfancied side’s hopes rest on the forward if the Djurtus are to shock the home side.

Samsunspor defender Nanu is doubtful for Guinea-Bissau’s opening fixture.

Ivory Coast possible starting lineup:
Fofana; Aurier, Diomande, Ndicka, Konan; Kessie, Fofana, Sangare; Krasso, Boga, Bamba

Guinea-Bissau possible starting lineup:
Mendes; Cande, Mane, Djalo; Mane, Semedo, Cassama, Rodrigues, Quizera; Gano, Balde

We say: Ivory Coast 2-0 Guinea-Bissau

Ivory Coast are expected to avoid Guinea-Bissau’s traps and the pressure of the opening fixture to secure a routine victory in the tournament’s first game on Saturday.

While the Djurtus should not be as open as they were in the 6-2 friendly defeat to Mali last week, they are unlikely to pull off a shock result.

Source: Sportsmole.co.uk