2024-01-22 09:20:12
Without reaction against Nigeria (1-0), Ivory Coast must recover against Equatorial Guinea, with the highly anticipated return of scorer Sébastien Haller, Monday (6 p.m.), so as not to risk spoiling its African Cup home. The “Elephants” are currently among the best thirds, with 3 points and a positive goal difference (+2), it is not glorious but they still have “their destiny in their hands”, recalls Jean-Louis Gasset .
“If we win, we will qualify,” underlines the coach, for the moment behind Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria, both 4 points. The Montpellier native certainly rails against Nigeria who “refused the game”, but he recognizes that his team did not “give the impression of being able to compete physically”, and that is the most worrying thing.
“It took us a day to digest the match,” he admits, “but we have to have confidence, we are playing in front of our audience.” For confidence, the return of Haller “will do good for the group”, adds Gasset. The Dortmund striker, injured in mid-December, missed the first two matches. But “the ankle is practically healed” and “he will be in the group”, assures the coach.
In his place, the ex-Stéphanois Jean-Philippe Krasso, who has since moved to Red Star Belgrade, had certainly scored in the first match against the modest Guinea-Bissau (3-0), but he did not weigh against the Super Eagles. Midfielder Simon Adingra, who also arrived injured at the CAN, is also in the group, Gasset said.
“I have confidence in this group”
With this feedback, Evan N’dicka also appears “confident. We lost a match but it’s not a tragedy. We quickly raised our heads,” assures the AS Roma defender. But the “Nzalang” (Lightning) of Guinea has physical power to oppose the Elephants, like its fierce leader Iban Salvador, the “Gattuso of Malabo”.
Gasset describes “a team block, a mischievous team that knows how to make mistakes without getting caught. They are full of confidence. The Equatorial Guinea gaming system does not change. A united, well-oiled team. Particularly on the left side”, that of Iban “Edu” Salvador, scorer against Nigeria (1-1).
“We are not going to invent anything new,” confirms Nzalang sentinel Pablo Ganet. “We have no pressure,” says the coach of Spanish-speaking Guinea Juan Micha Obiang, architect of this team which has barely changed compared to its very good previous CAN, where it eliminated Algeria and finished quarter-finalist.
Côte d’Ivoire has the pressure of an entire people, so as not to end up eliminated in the first round of “its” CAN as in 1984. “I have confidence in this group”, insists Gasset, “I know that it is young, he is tender, there will be psychological work because these are people who have great qualities.”
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