Ivorian Government Declares School Free Day Ahead of AFCON Clash Versus Nigeria

• Ivory Coast versus Nigeria AFCON match should have a packed stadium
• The Ivorian government has declared Thursday a school-free day
• Ivory Coast and Nigeria will clash at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium

The government of Ivory Coast has declared Thursday, January 18, a school-free day in the country ahead of the Group A match between the Elephants and the Super Eagles.

The aim is to encourage all Ivorians, both young and old, to flock to the Alassane Ouattara Stadium to cheer the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations hosts to victory against Nigeria.

According to GOAL, A win for Ivory Coast against the three-time African champions will seal their place in the knockout phase after their matchday one win over Guinea Bissau.

The Elephants have been tipped as one of the favourites to win AFCON 2023, but they face their toughest test against the Super Eagles, who are hoping to bounce back after stuttering in their first group game against Equatorial Guinea.

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Ivory Coast will be relying on the 12th man (the supporters) at home to cheer the playing unit to another vital win against Nigeria as they bank that the 60,000-capacity Alassane Ouattara Stadium will be filled up for Thursday’s game.

Haller set to miss Super Eagles game

Meanwhile, Ivory Coast face Nigeria in one of the highly anticipated Africa Cup of Nations matches today, with renowned Borussia Dortmund striker Sebastien Haller perhaps missing, The Standard reports.

Haller was unavailable for the Elephants' previous match due to an ankle injury, and a late judgement on his fitness is expected before kick-off against the Super Eagles on Thursday.

If Haller is ruled out, Red Star Belgrade forward Jean-Philippe Krasso, who scored the opening goal for Ivory Coast, is set to lead the line again.

Ivory Coast vs Nigeria preview

Earlier, Sports Brief previewed the Group A encounter between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the Elephants of Ivory Coast and highlighted expectations for the crunch AFCON encounter.

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As they seek their first Nations Cup title since 2015 - and third overall - Ivory Coast must beat a resilient Nigeria, who defeated them in the 2013 edition.

The Elephants are on an outstanding seven-game unbeaten record across all competitions, with four successive victories since a friendly draw with South Africa in October.