Ivory Coast face Somalia in crucial Africa Cup of Nations qualifier

Ivory Coast take on Somalia in their second Group C game of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on Tuesday evening at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Abidjan. The Elephants started their campaign with a 2-0 win against Ghana, featuring goals from Malick Yalcouye and Franck Kessie. Ivory Coast are managed by Hervé Renard, who has returned for a second spell after guiding the team to the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations title. Somalia head into the fixture following a 2-1 defeat to The Gambia last Friday, where Bilal Njie scored for Gambia and Abdi Sharif suffered a late fitness concern. Hendrik Pieter de Jongh's side reached the main qualifying phase for the first time after eliminating Mauritius on penalties following a goalless aggregate draw. This marks the first ever competitive meeting between Ivory Coast and Somalia.

Context

The Africa Cup of Nations is the premier international men's football championship of Africa, organized by the Confederation of African Football. Qualifying matches bring together national teams from across the continent to compete for a spot in the main tournament finals.