A fiery battle between elephants and horses in Marrakesh in the African Cup of Nations

Tomorrow, Tuesday, the eyes of African football fans will turn to the Grand Marrakesh Stadium in Morocco, where the teams of Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso will meet in a decisive confrontation in the round of 16 of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

This match represents a strong clash between the two neighbors in West Africa, as the Ivorian Elephants seek to continue the journey of defending their title, while the Burkinabe Horses team aspires to achieve a resounding surprise and advance to the quarter-finals.

The Ivorian national team entered the tournament as the defending champion and an extraordinary candidate for the title, and it proved this during its journey in the group stage through Group Six. The Elephants began their campaign by defeating Mozambique with a goal scored by Amad Diallo, then they tied with Cameroon in a high-level tactical confrontation. The final match of the group stage was the most exciting, as the team overturned a two-goal deficit against Gabon to a dramatic 3-2 victory in the final moments, securing top spot in the group with 7 points.

Coach Emers Fay is relying on a star-studded squad, and the return of key pillars such as Yahya Fofana in goal, and the strong midfield trio of Franck Kessé, Ibrahim Sangari and Sékou Fofana, is expected to return, giving the team a great balance between defensive solidity and the ability to transform quickly in attack.

On the other hand, the Burkina Faso national team made its way steadily into the fifth group, where it started with a victory over Equatorial Guinea 2-1, and despite losing to Algeria with an unanswered goal in the second round, it quickly regained its balance by defeating Sudan with two unanswered goals to occupy second place in the group with 6 points.

Lassina Traore stands out as one of the most important offensive weapons for coach Brama Traoré, who was able to build a team characterized by defensive discipline and speed in counterattacks. However, the team suffers from concerns about the readiness of its main goalkeeper, Hervé Kofi, who suffered a thigh injury, in addition to doubts about the participation of winger Cyric Erie.

Historically, the results did not smile much for the Burkina Faso national team against Côte d’Ivoire, as it achieved only three victories in 20 matches, while the Elephants won on 9 occasions, which is what Traoré’s teammates are seeking to change on the night in Marrakesh.

This confrontation is of double importance for Côte d’Ivoire, which aspires to break the “champion’s curse” that has haunted the African title holders since 2010, as the previous champions failed to advance beyond the round of 16 in the editions following their coronation.

What increases the Elephants’ strength at this stage is the technical stability under the leadership of Emers Faye, who made bold decisions that included summoning veteran star Wilfried Zaha to enhance attacking experience, in exchange for excluding young names such as Simon Adingra. Fay also demonstrated his tactical intelligence through extensive rotation in the Gabon match, where he made 10 changes that relieved the main pillars of Burkina Faso’s fateful match.

On the other hand, the Burkina Faso national team enters the match with mixed human feelings after the tragedy that struck its camp with the death of the player’s son, Aziz Key, which may constitute a moral incentive for the players to achieve victory as a dedication to their colleague.

This match is the first elimination meeting between the two teams in the history of the African Cup of Nations, which raises the pace of tactical caution.