D.R Congo vs Guinea Prediction: The Leopards to progress to next round

D.R Congo has advanced to the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations without securing a victory in regulation time. In the upcoming Friday clash at the Olympic Stadium of Ebimpé, the Leopards will face Guinea. In the round of 16, the Leopards caused a major upset by eliminating seven-time winners Egypt. On the other hand, Syli National put an end to their losing streak in the competition's first knockout stage by defeating Equatorial Guinea.

D.R Congo has yet to secure a victory in Cote d'Ivoire, but despite this historical trend, the Leopards have reached the quarter-finals of the continental showpiece. Their advancement came after defeating Egypt, who similarly failed to secure a win in regulation time and were eliminated via penalties.

In this crucial match, Lionel M'Pasi emerged as the hero for Sebastien Desabre's team, converting a penalty after Pharaohs goalkeeper Mohamed Abou Gabal hit the woodwork in the sudden-death rounds. M'Pasi capitalized on this opportunity and dispatched his penalty with ease. The outcome of eliminating Rui Vitoria's team signifies that the Leopards secured their first knockout victory at the Cup of Nations since 2015 when they reached the semi-finals and ultimately finished in third place.

However, the prospect of repeating such success is uncertain this time around, as Desabre's squad may face challenges if they continue to heavily rely on extra time and penalties. Even though Egypt demonstrated success through this route in the previous finals, it's not a guaranteed formula. Having not secured a win in regulation time, the Leopards aim to achieve their first knockout stage victory since their 4-2 quarter-final triumph over Congo at the 2015 Cup of Nations.

Guinea secured a dramatic last-minute victory with Mohamed Bayo's header, marking Syli National's first-ever knockout stage win in their history at the AFCON finals. The win was particularly significant, given Federico Bikoro's 55th-minute dismissal for Equatorial Guinea and Emilio Nsue's missed penalty, which prevented the match from going into extra time for Kaba Diawara's team.

Notably, Guinea advanced to the knockout rounds as the best third-placed team in the competition, and they now find themselves as the sole survivor from Group C, following the eliminations of Senegal and Cameroon by Ivory Coast and Nigeria, respectively. Having overcome the historical hurdle of knockout stage victories, Diawara's squad now aims to progress to the AFCON 2023 semi-finals, where they could potentially face Mali or the tournament hosts.

D.R Congo possible starting lineup:

M'Pasi; Kalulu, Mbemba, Batubinsika, Masuaku; Pickel, Moutoussamy; Bongonda, Kakuta, Wissa; Bakambu

Guinea possible starting lineup:

Kone; Diakite, Diakhaby, Jeanvier, Sylla; Konate, Diawara; Guilavogui, Keita, Sylla; Guirassy

This marks the eighth encounter between the two teams, with Congo holding a 4-2 advantage. Guinea has experienced a trend of low-scoring matches in their last six games, with five of them having under 2.5 goals and one team securing a clean sheet in each. Only one goal has been scored in the first half throughout Guinea's four matches in this tournament. Notably, all seven prior meetings between the teams have witnessed goals from both sides. Congo, on the other hand, has drawn all four of their games in this tournament.

The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations has witnessed numerous surprising outcomes, and DR Congo contributed to one such upset by eliminating Egypt early in the competition. Sébastien Desabre's team boasts a lineup of highly skilled players accustomed to performing on major stages, yet they've managed to fly under the radar until this juncture. On the other hand, Guinea has been on a quest for their first AFCON crown and achieved their first quarterfinal appearance since 2015. Their matches have been intense, marked by two red cards and 11 yellow cards in four games.

Congo has established themselves as the draw specialists in this tournament, having not secured a victory in regulation time. Anticipate a closely contested match, with both teams likely to share the spoils. In the event of a draw, DR Congo is expected to advance via penalties.