The second round of group games get under way on Thursday, with hosts Ivory Coast taking on Nigeria in a highly anticipated Group A encounter after Equatorial Guinea face Guinea Bissau earlier in the day.
In Group B, Egypt and Ghana will both be looking to get their first win when they meet in Abidjan.
The Elephants started their Group A campaign with a 2-0 win over Guinea-Bissau on 13 January which sees Ivory Coast placed at the top of the group standings.
The tournament hosts are enjoying a seven-match unbeaten run across all competitions having recorded two draws and five wins.
Meanwhile, Nigeria drew 1-1 with Equatorial Guinea in their first Group A match on 14 January and they are placed second on the group standings.
The draw extended the Super Eagles’ winless run to four matches across all competitions having registered three draws and one defeat.
TEAM NEWS
It is unclear whether Sebastien Haller will be available for selection after the Ivorian centre forward missed the game against Guinea-Bissau due to an injury.
Nigeria, on the other hand, have been boosted by the arrival of Terem Moffi who replaced the injured Victor Boniface in the squad.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Seko Fofana, Ivory Coast: The powerful midfielder is the heartbeat of the Ivorian midfield and he also poses a threat to the opposition with his goalscoring ability having scored against Guinea-Bissau.
Victor Osimhen, Nigeria: Considered among the best strikers in the world, the reigning CAF Footballer of the Year will be oozing with confidence after scoring his first goal in the Afcon finals against Equatorial Guinea.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Ivory Coast and Nigeria have met 27 times across all competitions. The Elephants have won nine games compared to the Super Eagles’ eight wins and 10 games ended in a draw.
The last meeting between the two teams ended in a 1-0 win in favour of Ivory Coast in a friendly match played in UAE in January 2015.
