Cote d’Ivoire vs Burundi Prediction and Betting Tips

Cote d'Ivoire will host Burundi at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium on Friday for the seventh round in Group F of the CAF 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualification campaign. The hosts will be keen to get a result and be one step closer to earning direct qualification for next year's World Cup finals.

Cote d'Ivoire lead the group and are unbeaten in this qualifiers campaign with five wins and a draw from six games played following their 1-0 win over Gambia in their last World Cup qualifier in March. A win for the Elephants on Friday will all but confirm a top-two finish in the group and will put the reigning AFCON champions within grasp of a first appearance in the World Cup finals since the 2014 edition.

Burundi were lethal in their last qualifying fixture as they thrashed Seychelles 5-0 to remain comfortably sat in third place in the group, five points behind second-placed Gabon and six behind Friday's hosts. The Swallows, who were considered one of the underdogs, have managed to pick up three wins and a draw, which puts them above Kenya, Gambia and Seychelles in the group, but will need to do even more if they are to earn a place in the playoffs or get an unlikely direct qualification.

Cote d'Ivoire vs Burundi Head-to-Head and Key Numbers

The sides have met on six previous occasions going into Friday's game. Cote d'Ivoire have a perfect record across those meetings, winning each of those six games.
Burundi have only managed to score two goals across their six meetings with the Ivory Coast but have conceded 15 in those games.
Only Ghana (15) and Algeria (16) have scored more goals in the CAF qualifiers than Cote d’Ivoire’s 14.
The hosts are also one of only two teams in the qualifiers to have a perfect defensive record after six games.
Cote d'Ivoire are currently ranked 45th in the FIFA World Rankings, while Burundi are ranked 139th.

Cote d'Ivoire vs Burundi Prediction

The Elephants are strong favorites and will only need to avoid complacency to cruise to an easy victory against a considerably weaker side.

The Swallows will hope to force a draw but will need something special to avoid defeat against the continental champions.

Prediction: Cote d'Ivoire 2-0 Burundi

Cote d'Ivoire vs Burundi Betting Tips

Tip 1 - Result: Cote d’Ivoire to win

Tip 2 - Goals - Over/under 2.5 - Under 2.5 goals (Eight of the visitors' last nine games have produced fewer than 2.5 goals scored)

Tip 3 - Both teams to score: No (Both sides have found the back of the net in just one of the hosts' last nine games)

About the author

Jedidiah is a European and international football journalist at Sportskeeda, who has been covering match previews for more than 3 years. Currently pursuing an engineering degree from the University of Ibadan, he conducts thorough research and ensures to be up-to-date with football news across the globe to create the most accurate previews.

A Manchester United fan, Jedidiah fell in love with football and the Red Devils since their UEFA Champions League triumph over Chelsea in 2008. He is a big fan of Robert Lewandowski and his historic performances from 2020, but feels that only Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe are capable of replicating the Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo rivalry. His all-time favorite manager is Carlo Ancelotti due to the Italian's remarkable composure in difficult moments of a contest. Spain's 1-0 win over Netherlands in the final of the 2010 FIFA World Cup is etched in his memory forever.

A true student of the game, Jedidiah relishes identifying hidden gems from lower-tiered leagues such as the EFL Championship and the Eredivisie. When not creating previews, he likes playing football and reading books.

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