On Tuesday afternoon, the two leading teams in Group K of qualifying for the African Cup of Nations meet, as Madagascar host Ivory Coast in the Stade Municipal de Mahamasina.
Madagascar are currently top of the group, having picked up six points from their opening three qualifiers. However, the home team are level on points with the visitors, but their superior goal difference has them ahead in the section.
Elim. CAN 2021 (CIV-MAD: 2-1): Les Eléphants gagnent, Gervinho premier Eléphant buteur au stade d'Ebimpé-Anyama https://t.co/DMFkMusJZeéphants-gagnent-gervinho-premier-eléphant-buteur-au-stade-debimpé via @# pic.twitter.com/E7of8hEAji— FIFCI (@FIFCI_tweet) November 13, 2020
Elim. CAN 2021 (CIV-MAD: 2-1): Les Eléphants gagnent, Gervinho premier Eléphant buteur au stade d'Ebimpé-Anyama https://t.co/DMFkMusJZeéphants-gagnent-gervinho-premier-eléphant-buteur-au-stade-debimpé via @# pic.twitter.com/E7of8hEAji
The fact that Madagascar are still top of the group is positive for the home side. What is not so positive for them is the fact that they suffered a 2-1 defeat away in the Ivory Coast last time out.
The defeat means that they have suffered back-to-back defeats after previously losing 2-1 in a home game against Burkina Faso.
The loss in the reverse fixture gives Madagascar a rather inconsistent recent record in qualifying, as they have now won two and lost three of their last five matches. They have also won just four of their previous 15 home qualifiers.
Ivory Coast needed the victory last time out, as they headed into the encounter on the back of a three-game winless run. They had also lost their previous qualifier 2-1 against Ethiopia, so the win kept the visitors in touch with Madagascar at the top of Group K.
The Ethiopia result was a slight rarity for the Ivory Coast in qualifying, as they have won five of their previous eight qualifiers while suffering just one defeat in the process.
However, Ivory Coast have struggled for victories on their travels in qualifying, winning just one of their last six away qualifiers.
The visitors have a good recent record against Madagascar, beating the hosts in the last three meetings while scoring at least twice in each win.
However, Forebet predicts that that clash will end honours even, which would see the two teams remain in the top two spots in Group K.