A highly anticipated Guinean derby is on the horizon as Equatorial Guinea prepares to face Guinea in the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Cote d'Ivoire 2023 round of 16. The clash is scheduled for Sunday, 28 January, at Ebimpe's Alassane Ouattara Olympic Stadium at 17h00 GMT.
Equatorial Guinea secured their spot at the top of Group A, outperforming tournament hosts Cote d'Ivoire, Nigeria, and Guinea-Bissau. The standout moment was their remarkable 4-0 victory over the hosts, sending shockwaves through the football world. With a total of 9 goals in three matches, Equatorial Guinea boasts the best attack at this stage, led by captain Emilio Nsue Lopez, the tournament's leading scorer with 5 goals.
This will be Equatorial Guinea's fourth appearance in the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON, with their best showing in 2015, reaching the semi-finals.
Guinea, qualifying as one of the best third-placed finishers, finished Group C with 4 points behind leaders Senegal (9 points) and Cameroon. Their best AFCON performance dates back to 1976 when they reached the final but lost to Morocco.
In pre-match comments, Equatorial Guinea coach Juan Micha emphasized the team's focus on taking each match step by step. Guinea coach Kaba Diawara emphasized the importance of tactics in the knockout stage, stating, “We just have to win, and I insist on that.”
The match promises intensity, with players like Equatorial Guinea's Saul Coco acknowledging Guinea as a complicated opponent. Guinea striker Serhou Guirassy expressed the team's determination to surpass this round, stating, “We came into this competition to reach a new milestone.”