It’s been a privilege inside The Athletic HQ to see photos pop through from my colleague Simon Hughes in recent weeks.
He’s out in Ivory Coast covering the Africa Cup of Nations – and doing a grand job too. His piece at the bottom here on Mo Salah’s quest to add this title with Egypt to his lengthy list of honours is a worthy read ahead of tonight’s game.
So what has Si made of it all so far? Here he is:
💬 “Being here for a week now, it feels longer – but in a good way. It’s just like a really big party. The mood in Abidjan particularly. Everyone is wearing an orange shirt and there’s absolutely no doubt among anyone that Ivory Coast will become champions. The optimism is incredible!
“I liked watching Senegal midfielder Lamine Camara. Just 20, excellent on the ball, natural enthusiasm. As soon as Salah touches the ball for Egypt, there’s an expectation. You can feel it. I get the feeling with Egypt there’s more to come.”
And as for Ivory Coast v Nigeria today:
💬 “Yeah, there’s a huge amount riding on this game. Two very big teams where expectations are enormous. I expect it to be really close.
“A draw would be a good result for Nigeria because it would give them confidence going into their final group game. Victor Osimhen is one of the great African footballers at the moment, if you can supply him with chances.
“But Ivory Coast are well-organised and they’ve got exciting wide players. So in terms of prediction, I think possibly 1-1.”
And yes, we will all hold Si to that prediction.
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