AFCON 2015: Head to head statistics: Cote d’Ivoire vs Mali
Head to head
-They have played 31 games, with Cote d'Ivoire winning 19, losing 4 and drawing 8.
- Ivory Coast have a perfect Cup of Nations record against Mali, winning 3-1 in the 1994 third-place play-off, 3-0 in a 2008 group game and 1-0 in a 2012 semi-final.
Previous performance in the African Cup of Nations
Cote d'Ivore
-The Elephants have participated in 19 African Cup of Nation championships and their best performance was winning the title in Senegal 1992, beating Ghana in a marathon penalty shootout.
-They first played in the AFCON in 1965.
-Cote d'Ivoire have qualified for every tournament after missing out in 2004.
-The Elephants have won nine and lost none of their last 12 African Cup of Nations group games, though they have not won the coveted trophy since 1992
Mali
-The Eagles have entered the African Cup of Nations on 8 occasions and their best performance came in 1972 when they finished runners-up to Congo.
-1972 AFCON in Cameroon was their maiden appearance
-Mali have finished third in each of the last two Afcon tournaments; they have not made the final of the competition since 1972 (in Cameroon) despite reaching five semi-finals since then.
Current form and team news
Cote d'Ivoire
-Cote d'Ivoire are rated 28 on the current FIFA ranking.
-They have won 1 lost 2 and drawn 2 of their last 5 games,
-They finished runners-up in group D of the 2015 AFCON qualifiers with Cameroon topping the group.
-No player has assisted more goals at African Cup of Nations since 2010 than Yaya Toure (4, level with John Obi Mikel)
-Ivory Coast striker Wilfried Bony was the top scoring Premier League player in 2014 with 20 goals, while Yaya Toure was third in this ranking on 17
Mali
-Mali are currently ranked 49 in the world.
-Mali have won 2, lost 2 and drawn 1 of their last 5 games
-They finished 2 to Algeria in group B of the 2015 AFCON qualifiers, winning three and losing three, but they were the only country to beat Algeria in the group.
- Seydou Keita has scored seven goals, Asamoah Gyan of Ghana is the only player featuring in the ongoing AFCON who has scored the same number of goals