Africa Cup of Nations Football Predictions Football Predictions Today

Ivory Coast vs Mozambique Prediction Africa Cup of Nations 24.12.2025

Alexandru Florin 23 December 2025

Ivory Coast vs Mozambique Prediction Africa Cup of Nations

Ivory Coast vs Mozambique Prediction and Betting Tips for the Africa Cup of Nations, scheduled for Wednesday, December 24, 2025, at 17:30 GMT. The match will be broadcast live on 4Seven and Channel 4. This high stakes Group F opener takes place at the Stade de Marrakech, where the reigning champions look to assert their dominance early on. The Elephants are coming off a massive title win on home soil and want to prove they are still the team to beat. In this article, you’ll discover African Cup of Nations Predictions Today from XpertStats tipsters.

Ivory Coast enters the tournament as defending champions after their clinical 2023 title win.
Mozambique has never defeated Ivory Coast in seven previous competitive meetings.
The Elephants maintained a perfect defensive record in recent World Cup qualifiers, conceding zero goals.
The Mambas remain winless in 15 total appearances across their Africa Cup of Nations history.
At 42, Mozambique’s Dominguez could become the second-oldest player to ever feature at the finals.
Ivory Coast is unbeaten in their last 13 AFCON opening matches, proving their reliability in starts.

The Ivorian side arrives in Morocco with the confidence of kings. Their recent form is nothing short of terrifying for opponents, especially a defense that didn’t concede a single goal during their World Cup qualifying run. Emerse Fae has built a unit that balances flair with a physical edge. While losing Sebastien Haller to a hamstring issue is a blow, the depth in this squad is incredible. They’ve seen plenty of low scoring games recently, with four of their last seven meetings against Mozambique staying under the 2.5 goal mark. Can they really keep that defensive wall intact again? It certainly looks likely given their history of starting these tournaments with a clinical win.

Mozambique, often referred to as the Mambas, are walking into a lions’ den here. Their journey to the finals was impressive, finishing second in their group, but the step up in quality is steep. Defensively, they’ve been a bit leaky, conceding four goals in a recent warm up against Angola. That’s a worry when you’re facing the best team on the continent. Even so, they have heart and some individual quality in Geny Catamo. They often struggle away from home against elite opposition and have a habit of conceding early. It’s hard to say how they’ll handle the pressure of the big stage, but they’ll need a perfect game to get anything from this one.

Still, the narrative usually follows the script when the champions are involved. Ivory Coast has an incredible record in opening fixtures, and their psychological edge over Mozambique is massive. The Mambas have historically struggled to find the net against the Elephants, which makes a clean sheet for the favorites a strong possibility. We expect a controlled performance from the holders to set the tone for the rest of the group. Looking at the African Cup of Nations Predictions Today, the focus is heavily on the champions’ ability to control the tempo from the first whistle. It might not be a high scoring blowout, but Ivory Coast should have too much quality.

Ahead of Côte d'Ivoire's opening match in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, head coach Emerse Faé has emphasized his squad's quiet confidence. Rather than relying on their status as defending champions, Faé credits their readiness to a rigorous preparation camp in Spain and consistent performances. The Elephants appear fully focused and invested, aiming to navigate a competitive field of title contenders through discipline and collective momentum.

Source: lequipe.fr

Ivory Coast (-1.5) @2.10
Ivory Coast enters this match as the clear favorite and for good reason. Their statistical dominance in African football over the last year has been remarkable. During their World Cup qualifying campaign, they scored 25 goals without conceding a single one. This defensive solidity combined with an explosive attack makes the -1.5 handicap look very appealing. Mozambique has struggled against top tier opposition, recently losing 4-1 to Angola in a friendly. The gap in individual quality between the two squads is vast, with players like Franck Kessie and Jean-Michael Seri capable of controlling the midfield entirely. Ivory Coast has also beaten Mozambique 3-0 in their most recent competitive meeting in 2021. Given the champions' history of starting AFCON campaigns strongly, they are likely to win this by at least two clear goals, punishing any defensive lapses the Mambas might show in Marrakech.