MATCH FACTS: Cote d’Ivoire face Angola at TotalEnergies CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025

Cote d’Ivoire and Angola will clash in their second Group D game at the TotalEnergies CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Morocco 2025 in Berrechid on Friday (kick-off 17:00 local time / GMT).

This is the first meeting between Angola and Cote d’Ivoire at the U17 Africa Cup of Nations.

Angola are facing West African opponents for a second game in succession after opening up the tournament against Mali.

Angola have faced West African opponents seven times previously, their record in these games reads W2 D1 L4.

Cote d’Ivoire are the fourth West African team Angola are facing after previous meetings against Ghana, Mali and Nigeria.

Cote d’Ivoire have faced COSAFA member nations previously and their record reads P5 W3 D1 L1.

ANGOLA FACTS
·       Angola lost their opening game against Mali 2-1. Mali are the team against whom Angola have lost the most games against at the finals, losing all three of their previous meetings.

·       Angola’s record in their second group game reads P4 W1 L3.

·       Their only win in their second group game was against Nigeria in 1999 a 1-0 win they have lost their second group game 4-3 to Ethiopia in 1997, 2-1 to Tanzania in 2017 and 1-0 to Nigeria in 2019.

·       Angola, along with 1999, have on two other occasions in 1997 and 2017 failed to win their opening game. In these tournaments they drew their first games. On both occasions they ended up losing their second group game.

·       Marcos Raimundo had 67 touches of the ball for Angola in their opening game, the most of any of their players.

COTE D’IVOIRE FACTS
·       Cote d’Ivoire defeated Central African Republic 6-1 in their opening game.

·       Their win over Central African Republic was the Cote d’Ivoire’s second largest margin of victory at the finals. Their biggest win was a 7-0 win over Botswana at the group stages in 1997.

·       Their game against Central African Republic produced seven goals. This was the second time the Cote d’Ivoire have been involved in a game at the finals that produced seven goals.

·       Cote d’Ivoire are participating in their sixth finals have never lost their opening game (W3 D3).

·       Prior to their win over the Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire had drawn their previous two opening games in 2013 and 2015. They win their opening game for the first time since a 2-1 win over Mali in 2013.

·       Cote d’Ivoire’s record in their second group game at the finals reads P5 W4 D1 L0.

·       Cote d’Ivoire have never previously lost their second group game, winning four times against Botswana in 1997, Nigeria in 2005 and 2013, as well as Cameroon in 2015. They have only drawn once against Congo in 2011.

·       Cote d’Ivoire’s second group at the tournament has traditionally been high scoring with their previous five games producing 20 goals at four goals per game. They have scored 15 goals and conceded five.

·       Victory for Cote d’Ivoire will see them start a finals with back-to-back wins for only the second time, along with 2005 when they defeated Zimbabwe and Nigeria.

·       Cote d’Ivoire have never previously lost inside their opening two games at the finals. All of Cote d’Ivoire’s group stage losses at the finals have come in their final group game.

·       Cote d’Ivoire had 13 shots on target in their opening game, the most by any team in the opening round of fixtures.

·       Cote d’Ivoire’s Alynho Haidara scored four goals in their win against Central African Republic, from seven shots on target. Haidara is the first player at the current finals to score a hattrick.

·       Haidara is the first player to score four goals at the finals since Isaac Success did so in Nigeria’s 6-1 win over Ghana in their opening game in 2013.

·       Haidara is the first player to score a hattrick at the finals since Kelechi Iheanacho in a 7-0 win for Nigeria against Congo in their final group game in 2013.