Ivory Coast secured a dramatic late comeback against Gabon, winning 3–2 with goals in the closing minutes. An important detail from that match is that several regular starters were rested, with this fixture against Burkina Faso clearly in mind.

Burkina Faso followed a similar rotation strategy, resting key attacking players such as Bertrand Traoré and Kabore in their win over Sudan. Both teams therefore arrive relatively fresh and close to full strength.

From what we have seen so far at AFCON, Ivory Coast appear to have the more complete squad. They offer greater depth and superior individual quality, particularly in attacking areas, with players capable of deciding matches in key moments.

Burkina Faso are well-organized defensively and difficult to break down, but they often struggle when it comes to chance creation and finishing.

This was evident against Equatorial Guinea, where they failed to convert dominance into goals and were trailing 0-1 until late in the match, despite playing with a numerical advantage.