Ivory Coast vs Cameroon: can either side book an early place in the Africa Cup of Nations knockout stage?
One of the standout fixtures of Matchday 2 at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations will see Ivory Coast face Cameroon. The game will take place on Sunday, December 28, with kick-off at 21:00 CET, and here is a betting pick for this clash.
Ivory Coast vs Cameroon: match preview
The reigning Africa Cup of Nations champions, Ivory Coast, began their title defence with a match against Mozambique. A single goal scored in the 49th minute proved decisive and secured victory for the Ivorians. Amad Diallo found the net, delivering three crucial points for his team.
Cameroon opened their AFCON campaign against Gabon. Just like Ivory Coast, it was a difficult encounter. The match was evenly contested, with everything decided by a solitary goal scored in the sixth minute. Etta Eyong was on the scoresheet after an assist from Mbeumo. It was a hard-fought but valuable win for the Cameroonians.
At the moment, the two main favourites of the group, and arguably of the entire tournament, both sit on three points. Ivory Coast and Cameroon will determine the group winner and a potential early qualifier for the knockout stage in their head-to-head meeting. Of course, that scenario will only materialise if one of the teams manages to claim all three points in this match.
Match facts and H2H
- Ivory Coast have won their last two matches and have suffered just one defeat in their previous seven games.
- Cameroon have lost one of their last four matches.
- The most recent head-to-head meeting between Ivory Coast and Cameroon ended in a 1–1 draw.
Probable line-ups
- Ivory Coast: Fofana; Doue, Ndicka, Kossounou, Konan; Seri, Kessie, Sangare; Y. Diomande, Diallo, Zaha
- Cameroon: Epassy; Malone, Koto, Tolo, Tchamadeu, Yongwa; Baleba, Ebong, Namaso; Mbeumo, Eyong
Prediction
A very difficult match awaits between two group leaders and tournament favourites. The clash between Ivory Coast and Cameroon is expected to be tense, and I do not anticipate a high-scoring affair. However, Ivory Coast appear more stable at the moment, and the recommended bet is Ivory Coast to score over 1 goal individually.
