Defending champions Ivory Coast will travel to face Zambia on matchday five of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers this Friday afternoon. The Elephants currently lead Group G with nine points, two points ahead of Chipolopolo in second. Here’s our match prediction.
Zambia is having a strong AFCON qualifying campaign and can secure their place in the main draw with a win here, provided Sierra Leone loses against Chad in the other group match. After an initial 2-0 defeat to Ivory Coast in the opening round, Chipolopolo has bounced back, overcoming Sierra Leone 3-2 and splitting their results against Chad last month (W1 D1).
However, the hosts have struggled to find the net recently, failing to score in six of their last eight matches across all competitions, which could be a significant concern heading into this match.
On the other hand, Ivory Coast started the qualifiers impressively with three consecutive wins but suffered a surprising 1-0 loss to Sierra Leone in round four. This defeat marked their first setback since lifting the AFCON title in February, during which they had five wins and two draws in seven games. Prior to that loss, the Elephants had scored eight goals in their first three qualifiers and have only failed to find the net twice in their last 12 matches across all competitions.
Given Ivory Coast’s attacking prowess and Zambia’s recent struggles in front of goal, we predict that the Elephants will secure a victory, potentially extending their lead in Group G and solidifying their position as favorites to advance.