EBIMPÉ, Ivory Coast
DR Congo and Guinea will clash on Friday with a coveted TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations semi-final place on the line when they meet at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Ebimpé.
It will be the fourth
TotalEnergies CAF AFCON encounter between the nations, with DR Congo yet to
beat Guinea in three previous group stage meetings, including a 2-1 loss in
their last meeting in 2004.
DR Congo have reached the
quarter-finals without winning a single game in normal time.
But defender Gédéon Kalulu
believes psychological victories can help them progress.
"Certainly we can note
two victories on the psychological front. The first is having beaten a top 5
side on penalties, and the second is not conceding many goals," said
Kalulu.
Guinea are expected to be
boosted by the return of key players Naby Keita and Serhou Guirassy from
injury.
"Naby and Serhou are
getting better and better. They are two very important assets for our team.
Their entries in previous matches were crucial for us," noted Guinea
midfielder Amadou Diawara.
With a first AFCON semi-final
since 2015 on the line, Guinea striker Sory Kaba stressed the need for
efficiency.
"Against a compact
Congolese team, we will have to be rigorous and efficient. The team that makes
the least mistakes will go through," Kaba stated.
After scrappy Round of 16
wins, both sides know a clinical performance will be required to keep their
AFCON dreams alive and reach the final four.
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