Senegal will tonight look to end the jinx of winners of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) failing to reach the quarterfinals of the next edition when they clash with hosts Ivory Coast at the Charles Konan Bani Stadium in their round-of-16 encounter.
Since Egypt in 2010, none of the last six AFCON defending champions have advanced to the quarterfinals of the next edition.
Ivory Coast will seek redemption after almost getting eliminated from the competition had Morocco not beaten Zambia in the group stage.
The Elephants advanced to the knockout stage as one of the third-best-placed teams, defeating Guinea-Bissau 2-0 and losing 0-1 and 4-0 to Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea, respectively.
Meanwhile, the defending champions have performed superbly, winning their group and going unbeaten to advance to the knockout stages. The Teranga Lions defeated Gambia 3-0, Cameroon 3-1, and Guinea 2-0.
Senegal coach warns against underestimating the hosts
Senegal head coach Aliou Cisse says the team will look to maintain their winning streak but he is aware of the dangers that come with underestimating a team like the Elephants.
“Our team is going through a good period after three matches, where we achieved good results in the group stage and I am satisfied with it. We are in a good state to focus. The statistics are there and I cannot change the past and the results,” he told a pre-match press conference.
Cisse continued: “We are in the present and we will remain focused. We are now in the eighth final, against a good Cote d’voire team. I am sure we will play a very difficult match. If we win, we will continue the adventure, and if we lose, we will return home.
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“We qualified with nine points and the opponent with three points; this does not matter. Now a new competition has began. Cote d’voire remains a major team in Africa, they have good players. The defeat in their last two matches remains just an accident. They will show another performance in front of their fans,” he concluded.
