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Gambia will face Cote d'Ivoire at the Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier on Monday (November 20th).
Gambia kickstarted their qualification campaign with a 3-2 defeat away to Burundi on Thursday. Abedi Bigirimana, Frederic Nsabiyumwa and Abdallah Sudi all scored for Les Hirondelles while Musa Barrow and Ebrima Colley scored for the Gambians.
Cote d'Ivoire, meanwhile, ran riot in a 9-0 bashing of Seychelles in Abidjan. Karim Konate and Hamed Traore each scored braces, while Sebastian Haller, Jean-Philippe Krasso, Seko Fofana, Ibrahim Sangare and Simon Adingra all scored one goal each in the blitz.
The victory took Les Éléphants to top spot in Group F, with maximum points after one game. Gambia are fourth, with the best goal difference among the three teams with zero points.
Gambia vs Cote d'Ivoire Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- The two sides have clashed on six occasions in the past. Cote d'Ivoire have four wins to their name, while Gambia were victorious in two previous games.
- This will be their first clash in a decade. Their last meeting came in June 2013 when Ivory Coast claimed a 3-0 away victory in a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier.
- Gambia have conceded at least two goals in four of their last five games.
- Five of Cote d'Ivoire's last seven games have seen at least one side fail to find the back of the net.
- Gambia have never qualified for the FIFA World Cup in their history. Cote d'Ivoire are seeking to qualify for a fourth World Cup.
- Cote d'Ivoire are currently ranked 52nd in the world according to the latest FIFA World Rankings. Gambia climbed one spot to 117th.
Gambia vs Cote d'Ivoire Prediction
Cote d'Ivoire have failed to qualify for the last two editions of the World Cup after making three consecutive appearances between 2006 and 2014. Jean-Louis Gasset's side showed the full range of their attacking prowess in the demolition of Seychelles and will look to build on their opening-day victory.
Gambia are in something of a golden era and recently secured qualification for a third successive Africa Cup of Nations. This is impressive considering that they only made their AFCON bow two years ago.
The Scorpions started their World Cup qualification campaign on a losing note but will still believe they can get back on track. Gambia are playing their home games in these qualifiers in Tanzania and the lack of home support could be detrimental to their chances of success.
Prediction: Gambia 0-1 Cote d'Ivoire
Gambia vs Cote d'Ivoire Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Cote d'Ivoire to win
Tip 2 - Both teams to score: No
Tip 3 - Under 2.5 goals
