Eagles seek third AFCON win in seven games against Ivory Coast

The Super Eagles will be seeking to fly past the Elephants of Ivory Coast for the third in seven Africa Cup of Nations matches when both sides clash on
Thursday in their second group game.

The Ivorians, host of the 34th edition of the AFCOn won their opening group game against Guinea-Bissau (2-0) while Nigeria forced Equatorial Guinea to a 1-1
draw.

The Nigerians know Thursday’s game is a must not lose game and will bank on their last outing against the Elephnats. That was 10 years ago in South Africa
where the Super Eagles soared to a 2-1 finish.

In fact, both countries first clashed at the Africa Cup of Nations when Nigeria hosted in 1980.

The encounter at the National Stadium, Surulere ended scoreless, and it was Nigeria’s second game (as it will be on Thursday) of the tournament.

The Eagles had to defeat Egypt in their third match to qualify for the semi finals (in which they pipped Morocco 1-0) to make progress, and eventually win
the trophy for the first time.

Ten years later, both countries again clashed in the group phase, with Rashidi Yekini (of blessed memory) scoring the match’s only goal after just three
minutes in Annaba. The Eagles eventually made it to the Final, losing 0-1 to the host nation, Algeria.

In 1994, both teams clashed in the semi-finals at the Stade El Menzah in Tunis. It ended in a penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw, with petite Michel Bassole
scoring for the Ivorians and Yekini and Benedict Iroha netting for Nigeria.

Yekini scored the winning penalty for the Eagles, and Nigeria notched her second crown by defeating Zambia 2-1 in the Final

In 2006, both teams met in the semi-finals in Alexandria, with the Ivorians running away 1-0 winners. Two years later, the Ivorians were again 1-0 winners
after Salomon Kalou scored the only goal in a group phase encounter in the Ghanaian city of Sekondi.

In 2013, on their way to a third triumph, the Eagles edged the Elephants 2-1 in a quarter-final like no other at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg.
Emmanuel Emenike and Sunday Mba scored for Nigeria.