Rafael Nogueira
| Prefer us on Google — see Tips.gg in Top Stories & Discover | Add on Google |
Cote d’Ivoire host Ghana in the CAF Africa Cup of Nations on Thursday 24 September 2026, and this page sets out predicted lineups for both sides built from the data available to us. Rather than pointing to a settled run of form, the honest starting point here is the opposite: neither camp has a readable recent starting pattern to lean on, so what follows is framed as a projection rather than a certainty. Expect the shape and personnel to firm up closer to kickoff as official team news lands.
Cote d’Ivoire Predicted XI
Cote d’Ivoire are projected here in a 4-2-3-1, though that shape is a default rather than anything tied to a named coach’s known preference. The bigger caveat is that we have no readable recent line-ups for them, so this expected XI is built from the squad list rather than from actual recent starts. With every player showing the same blank record, no individual start count stands out as more secure than another; Yahia Fofana is simply the goalkeeper picked in this projection, and Franck Kessié anchors a midfield picked on squad standing rather than recent minutes. Treat the group as a plausible starting shape rather than a confirmed selection.
Cote d’Ivoire predicted XI: Yahia Fofana; Ousmane Diomande, Ghislain Konan, Wilfried Singo, Christopher Operi; Jean Michaël Seri, Seko Fofana, Franck Kessié, Ibrahim Sangaré, Parfait Guiagon; Ange-Yoan Bonny
| Line | # | Player | Starts in last 0 | Last 0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | 1 | Yahia Fofana | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| D | 2 | Ousmane Diomande | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| D | 3 | Ghislain Konan | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| D | 5 | Wilfried Singo | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| D | 13 | Christopher Operi | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| M | 4 | Jean Michaël Seri | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| M | 6 | Seko Fofana | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| M | 8 | Franck Kessié | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| M | 18 | Ibrahim Sangaré | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| M | 25 | Parfait Guiagon | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| F | 9 | Ange-Yoan Bonny | 0/0 | 0/0 |
Ghana Predicted Lineup
Ghana line up in the same default 4-2-3-1 in our model, again a fallback shape rather than a formation attributed to any coach. As with their opponents, we have no readable recent line-ups for them, so this predicted lineup is a squad-based estimate rather than one built on recent starting form. No player here carries a start count that separates him from the rest, so Lawrence Ati-Zigi in goal and Thomas Partey in the middle are included on squad standing rather than any run of appearances. This is best read as a working template for how Ghana could set up, not a confirmed side.
Ghana predicted XI: Lawrence Ati-Zigi; Alidu Seidu, Caleb Yirenkyi, Jonas Adjetey, Abdul Mumin; Thomas Partey, Abdul Fatawu Issahaku, Kwasi Sibo, Elisha Owusu, Augustine Boakye; Jordan Ayew
| Line | # | Player | Starts in last 0 | Last 0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | 1 | Lawrence Ati-Zigi | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| D | 2 | Alidu Seidu | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| D | 3 | Caleb Yirenkyi | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| D | 4 | Jonas Adjetey | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| D | 6 | Abdul Mumin | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| M | 5 | Thomas Partey | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| M | 7 | Abdul Fatawu Issahaku | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| M | 8 | Kwasi Sibo | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| M | 15 | Elisha Owusu | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| M | 20 | Augustine Boakye | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| F | 9 | Jordan Ayew | 0/0 | 0/0 |
Team News and Confirmed Absentees
Guéla Doué and Odilon Kossounou are out injured, both of them defenders, which thins Cote d’Ivoire’s options down the back line specifically. On the bench, Simon Adingra is among the players listed as available options should changes be needed, though there is no recent-start data to say with confidence how he would be used.
| Player | Pos | Status | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guéla Doué | D | injured | Muscle bruise |
| Odilon Kossounou | D | injured | Hamstring Injury |
Kamal Deen Sulemana and Marvin Senaya are out injured for Ghana, taking out a forward option and a defensive one from contention. Antoine Semenyo and Gideon Mensah are among the bench names who could be called into the side, again without recent-start evidence to lean on for how likely that is.
| Player | Pos | Status | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kamal Deen Sulemana | F | injured | Inner ligament injury |
| Marvin Senaya | D | injured | Hamstring Injury |
How We Predict These XIs
Our process is to look at each side’s most recent line-ups, weighting newer matches more heavily than older ones, and remove anyone confirmed injured or suspended before settling on an expected XI. In this case, neither Cote d’Ivoire nor Ghana had any readable recent line-ups to draw on, so both predicted XIs above are built instead from squad information rather than from actual recent starts. That makes this a thinner, squad-based projection rather than a form-based one, and it can and will change once the official team news is confirmed.
Read also: Côte d’Ivoire vs Ghana Prediction: 24.09.2026 Africa Cup of Nations 2027 Qualifier
Read also: Cote d’Ivoire vs Ghana Head-to-Head: Record, Stats & Form as of 21 Sep 2026
FAQ
Who is predicted to start in goal for Cote d’Ivoire vs Ghana?
Yahia Fofana is the projected starting goalkeeper for Cote d’Ivoire, with Lawrence Ati-Zigi named as Ghana’s expected number one, though both are squad-based picks rather than confirmed selections.
What formation are Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana expected to play?
Both sides are shown in a 4-2-3-1 in this projection, but that is a default shape used in the absence of formation data rather than one confirmed by either coach.
Who is unavailable for Cote d’Ivoire vs Ghana?
Guéla Doué and Odilon Kossounou are out injured for Cote d’Ivoire, while Kamal Deen Sulemana and Marvin Senaya are out injured for Ghana.
When do Cote d’Ivoire play Ghana?
The CAF Africa Cup of Nations fixture kicks off on Thursday 24 September 2026.