Cote d’Ivoire lost their last two Group A games, including being hammered 4-0 by Equatorial Guinea.
The hosts had to sneak into the Round of 16 as one of the third-best-placed teams after also losing 1-0 to Nigeria in their last Group A match.
With Senegal winning all of their group games and looking strong on paper, coach Aliou Cisse does not want to view his side as superior to Cote d’Ivoire.
“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,” Cisse said as per beIN Sports. “We will play a very difficult match. If we win, we will continue the adventure, and if we lose, we will return home.
“We qualified with nine points and the opponent with three points; this does not matter. Now a new competition has begun. Cote d’Ivoire remains a major team in Africa; they have good players,” he added.
“The defeat in their last two matches remain just an accident, they will show another performance in front of their fans.”
With Senegal having a 100 percent record in this AFCON, that is a statement of intent in their quest to defend the AFCON title.
Cisse’s remarks on Cote d’Ivoire might sound diplomatic but Senegal are in ruthless mode and have the capacity to spoil the hosts’ AFCON party.
The Elephants could, however, take their defeats as big lessons that will help them pick themselves up and upset the holders.
The two West African giants are now braced up to clash today in a match that could produce 2023 AFCON winners.
The winner between Cote d’Ivoire and Senegal will meet the team that emerges triumphant in another Round of 16 clash between Cape Verde and Mauritania.