On October 12, 2024, Guinea and Ethiopia will clash in a crucial Africa Cup of Nations qualification match. Both teams are struggling in their group, with Guinea sitting at the bottom of Group H and Ethiopia just above them in third place.
Guinea, despite their recent struggles, have a bit of history on their side. In the last Africa Cup of Nations, they advanced to the quarterfinals, where they lost to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. However, their current qualification campaign has been dismal, with losses to DRC and Tanzania in their first two matches.
Ethiopia, on the other hand, has not fared much better. They failed to advance from the group stage in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations and have continued their poor form in the current qualifiers. Ethiopia managed a goalless draw against Tanzania but then lost 2-0 to DRC in their last match. They have not scored in three of their last four matches and have not secured a victory in their last four games.
Predictions for the match lean towards a low-scoring affair. Given the poor form of both teams, especially in scoring, many analysts predict under 2.5 goals in the match. Guinea is slightly favored to win, given their home advantage, although they are playing their home match in Cote d’Ivoire due to logistical issues.
The expected lineups for Guinea include Kone in goal, with Diakite, Conte, Mohamed Kamara, and Kont in defense. Moriba, Toure, and Madi Kamara are likely to be in midfield, while Balde, Baio, and Agibe Kamara will lead the attack. For Ethiopia, Habtamu is expected in goal, with Kassaye, Baye, Hamid, and Kasa in defense. Wold, Panom, Gugsa, Daganchew, and Bekele will form the midfield, and Markne will be up front.
Overall, the match is crucial for both teams as they seek to improve their standings in the group. Guinea needs a win to keep their hopes alive, while Ethiopia aims to break their winless streak.
