When Algeria faces Cote d’Ivoire in Suez on Thursday (11 July 2019) at the 2019 Total Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals, it’s going to be the eighth time both sides lock horns in the continent’s flagship football competition.
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In previous seven AFCON encounters, Les Elephants emerged victorious in three occasions (1968, 1992 and 2015) compared to Les Fennecs two wins (1990 and 2010) and two draws (1988 and 2013).
The last encounter that gathered Algeria and Cote d’Ivoire came in the same round (quarterfinals) in Equatorial Guinea 2015. The February 1st 2015 match at Malabo stadium saw the Ivorian Elephants winning 3-1 on their way to their second title then. Wilfried Bony gave the Elephants lead after 26 minutes, before Hilal Soudani equalized for Algeria at the 51st minute. Bony restored Cote d’Ivoire lead after 68 minutes, and deep into injury time Gervinho confirmed Les Elephants win after 94 minutes.
And when both sides clash in Suez on Thursday, there will be 11 players surviving from the 2015 clash; six Ivoirians and five Algerians. Moreover four of Algeria players in the 2019 squad were on the bench in 2015 without taking part in the game.
From Cote d’Ivoire side, the brace scorer Bony, goalkeeper Sylvain Gbohou, Serge Aurier, Wilfried Kanon, Geoffrey Serey Die and Max Alain Gradel were on the winning side. Meanwhile Goalkeeper Rais M’Bolhi, Aissa Mandi, Yacine Brahimi, Sofiane Feghouli and Riyad Mahrez donned Algeria’s shirt then. Goalkeeper Izzedine Doukha, Rafik Hallichem Mehdi Zeffane and Islam Slimani were on the bench in Malabo.
Will any of these 15 players be on the pitch four years later? The answer is on Thursday.
