Ivory Coast and Gabon Fight For Group F Lead
CAF World Cup Qualifier: Ivory Coast vs Gabon WC Betting Preview
Both Sides 2-0 Heading into WCQ Meeting
Ivory Coast have built some real momentum after their shock Africa Cup of Nations triumph on home soil. On Friday, Les Elephants host Gabon in an important Group F World Cup Qualifier. Both teams are 2-0 in World Cup qualifiers thus far and Friday’s winner will take the Group F lead. Both coaches have named strong squads for June qualifiers and Friday’s match should be one of the week’s best.
Ahead of the match, we’ll check out the Ivory Coast vs Gabon WC betting odds.
Ivory Coast vs Gabon
Records: Ivory Coast (2-0-0), Gabon (2-0-0)
Date & Time: Friday, June 7, 3:00 p.m. ET
Location: Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium, Korhogo, Ivory Coast
Stream: FIFA+
Ivory Coast vs Gabon Head-to-Head
Ivory Coast and Gabon haven’t played any qualifying FIFA World Cup games against each other since 2017. Gabon picked up a 2-1 victory the last time these teams met, which ended Ivory Coast’s six-game unbeaten run in this fixture. In five meetings in the last ten years (in all competitions), Ivory Coast hold a 3-1-1 record vs. Gabon.
Ivory Coast Riding High
Ivory Coast coach Emerse Fae is still unbeaten in six matches in charge of the national team. Fae took charge of Ivory Coast during the Africa Cup of Nations after Les Elephants lost 4-0 to Equatorial Guinea under Jean-Louis Gasset. It then snuck into the knockout stage as one of the highest-ranked third-place teams and Fae inexplicably guided the host nation to the AFCON title.
Defender Ghislain Konan and midfielders Jean Michael Seri and Franck Kessie made the tournament’s best XI. Ivory Coast are still riding high after beating Uruguay 2-1 in a March friendly. Les Elephants have one of the best rosters on the continent, with a solid defensive line.
Odilon Kossounou won the Bundesliga unbeaten with Bayer Leverkusen, while Konan, Evan Ndicka, and Wilfried Singo could make up the rest of the backline on Friday. Seri, Kessie, and Seko Fofana are all industrious midfielders and Simon Adingra and Sebastien Haller are talented attackers. Ivory Coast are certainly expected to top their group in CAF FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Aubameyang Gives Gabon Different Dimension
The Ivory Coast vs Gabon WC betting odds list visitors Gabon as heavy underdogs but they shouldn’t be completely counted out. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang initially retired from the national team in 2022 but he’s returned. Aubameyang was the Europa League’s Player of the Season with Marseille. He scored 10 goals and helped OM make the semifinals.
While he’s not as fast as he once was, Aubameyang’s positioning is still world-class. While having him back is a massive boost, Anthony Oyono’s injury could hurt. The Frosinone defender started both of the CAF qualifying wins last November. Currently, Gabon are in second place in the Group F FIFA World Cup standings in CAF qualifiers.
Last November, Gabon defeated Kenya and Burundi by a 2-1 scoreline in each match. Denis Bouanga, who plays in MLS for LAFC, scored in both matches for Gabon. While there is certainly offensive potential, with Bouanga and Aubameyang, Gabon have conceded in eight straight matches.
Ivory Coast vs Gabon Match Analysis & Odds
Currently, Ivory Coast are -400 favorites and they are 3-3-0 in 90-minute matches under Emerse Fae. Gabon, who can’t seem to keep a clean sheet lately, are +900 underdogs. The three goalkeepers called up to Gabon’s squad have a combined total of three international appearances.
The Ivory Coast vs Gabon WC betting odds also list a draw at +400 and that’d be an excellent result for Gabon. Expect Ivory Coast to have the upper hand in midfield, which could go a long way.
Ivory Coast -1.5 and Gabon +1.5 are both priced at -110 odds. Meanwhile, over and under 2.5 goals sit at -110 as well. Notably, both teams have scored in five of Ivory Coast’s last six matches.
