The Grand Stadium of Marrakech will be the scene of an electrifying West African derby this Tuesday. Ivory Coast's Elephants , the reigning African champions, face Burkina Faso's Stallions for a place in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. While the pitch may be the deciding factor, history heavily favors one side.

An unequivocal Ivorian domination

Since their first official match in 1976, Ivory Coast has maintained an impressive statistical dominance over its Burkinabe neighbor. In 16 encounters, the record speaks for itself:

1. 8 victories for Ivory Coast
2. 7 draws
3. Only 1 defeat (a 2-0 loss in a friendly match, dating back to... 1997)

The Stallions face the "wall" of the AFCON

Burkina Faso has never managed to defeat Ivory Coast in the final stages of the Africa Cup of Nations. Their last two encounters in the competition ended in a draw in Cabinda (0-0 in 2010) and an Ivorian victory in Malabo (2-0 in 2012).

Scores that have marked history: | Date | Competition | Result | Notable event | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 05/09/2009 | 2010 World Cup Qualifiers | 5-0 | Biggest win (Drogba brace) | | 02/10/1977 | 1978 Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers | 4-1 | Ivory Coast beats Upper Volta | | 05/06/2021 | Friendly | 2-1 | Most recent encounter (Amad Diallo goal) |

The stakes: Defending the title against a historic achievement

For Emerse Faé's men, the objective is clear: to confirm their status as favorites and continue their defense of the continental title. Statistics give them a definite psychological advantage, but the reality of a knockout match remains unpredictable.

For Burkina Faso, it's time for a challenge. The Stallions have only one thing on their minds: to break through this historic glass ceiling and secure their first-ever victory against the Elephants in the final stages of the AFCON.