Nigeria vs Ivory Coast prediction, odds, expert football betting tips and best bets for AFCON final 2024 – Sporting News
Amidst a chaotic and entertaining Africa Cup of Nations tournament in 2024, two longtime CAF powers have emerged as finalists with Nigeria and Ivory Coast 90 minutes away from a return to continental glory.
Ivory Coast enjoyed a glorious decade where they made the AFCON semifinals four times between 2006 and 2015, including three final appearances and one title. Since, they’ve fallen on hard times, failing to place in three straight AFCON tournaments and missing out on the past two World Cups.
As hosts, the Elephants were close to utter disaster, inches from group-stage elimination, which led to the premature dismissal of their head coach. They would manage to qualify for the knockout stage thanks to outside help, and interim head coach Emerse Fae has made the most of their new life.
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Nigeria mirror that recent path, as one of the most established African football strongholds but with just a single AFCON podium since their last title in 2013. The Super Eagles also failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, but they could craft the foundation for a resurgence with a title here.
USA: Click here to see the latest odds for Nigeria vs Ivory Coast and bet AFCON 2023 final
This is truly anyone’s game and will be a fascinating match to soak in with a trophy on the line. Both teams have been excellent defensively across the course of the knockout stage, and each side has found spots to pick out up front.
The difference between the two nations is minute, but Nigeria’s been solid across the whole tournament, whereas the Ivory Coast completed a stark turnaround from their ugly group mishaps. The hosts cannot afford to struggle scoring goals the way that they did early in the tournament — if they do, one would be enough for the Super Eagles.
If there’s one thing this Africa Cup of Nations tournament has not failed to deliver, it’s drama each and every game. With very few goals expected, the odds on this pick at both ends are inflated, so understanding that one goal could change things considerably, you’d expect this game to go down to the wire. As both sides get desperate down the stretch in a final, they will open up a bit more, which could get messy in the final few minutes.
While Victor Osimhen has just a single goal at AFCON 2023, coming in the first match of the competition, it feels as if this entire tournament has been leading up to the Nigeria talisman finding the net in a big moment.
Osimhen has been heavily involved throughout, racking up a huge shot count but so unlucky not to score. He has seen VAR nullify a goal in two straight matches, and he put three straight headers over the crossbar in the semifinals. Osimhen has racked up chances but just has not been able to take them.
At such a high volume, and with such good value, Osimhen is a great shout to find the net even if a low-scoring match is expected.
The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final between Nigeria and Ivory Coast will be broadcast on beIN Sports in the United States and Canada, with a Spanish-language broadcast available on beIN Sports en Espanol.
Both channels are available to stream on Fubo in both the United States (Fubo USA) and Canada (Fubo Canada).
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In the UK, the match will be broadcast by both BBC and Sky Sports across multiple platforms, as well as the dedicated streaming services for both providers.
Kyle Bonn is a soccer content producer for The Sporting News.
