Ivory Coast take on DR Congo in the Group D Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Abidjan on Wednesday.
After registering a 2-1 win against Sierra Leone in their qualifying opener, the Ivorians suffered a humiliating 1-4 loss to Cameroon in their second fixture. However, they made a comeback against DR Congo, beating them 2-1, courtesy of strikes from Wilfred Bony and Max Gradel.
Ivory Coast, who are currently sitting in second position in Group D behind Cameroon, will now be hoping to beat DR Congo to secure a place in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.
They already recorded a win at DR Congo last weekend but the Elephants' head coach Herve Renard insists that his side will not be complacent in the reverse fixture as a defeat could end their hopes of qualifying.
"We're not going to be carried away by the 2-1 win over DR Congo. We want to remain concentrated and win the return leg which is very important for our qualification," Renard said at a press conference in Abidjan.
Meanwhile, this match will also be a do-or-die fixture for DR Congo as another defeat against Ivory Coast will extinguish their hopes of qualifying for the Cup, which will kick off on 17 January.
Having already suffered defeats against Cameroon and Ivory Coast, Congo are currently sitting in third place, with just three points from three games.
DR Congo head coach Florent Ibenge is hopeful that his men will now at least record a draw in the reverse fixture against Ivory Coast.
"We're going to Abidjan to pick up points. Anything can happen. We don't believe in paper statistics, football is played on the pitch. We'll be playing with lesser pressure unlike the Ivorians and so we'll be more focused," Ibenge told reporters before leaving for Abidjan.
Where to Watch Live
The match is set for a 5 pm local time (9.30 pm IST) start, with no live coverage in India and the UK. Viewers in South Africa and Sub Saharan Africa can catch the action on SuperSport or via live streaming online HERE.
Viewers in the US and Canada can watch the game on beIN Sports, with the option to live stream the action HERE. Middle East and North Africa viewers can view the match live on beIN Sports Arabia, with live streaming option HERE.
