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People of Egypt face another stern challenge: Drogba
For those not up on the biblical favourite Exodus, back in the olden days, the people of Egypt had a terrible time with plagues, ten of them in total. First there were rivers of blood, then loads of frogs ran amock, then gnats, then the good lord diseased their livestock, then everyone came out in sores, then the weather contrived to combine a hail storm with white hot fire, then the locusts invaded, then they were engulfed in total darkness, and then everyone lost their first born child to an unfortunate death. With that in mind, their ancestors should really have nothing to worry about against the plague of Drogba and Kalou. You'd think.
IVORY COAST
Last six: WWWWWW
EGYPT
Last six: WDWWDW
» The Ivory Coast’s track record in semi finals isn’t great. They were knocked out in the semi finals in 1965, 1968, 1970, 1986 and 1994.
» Egypt are the current holders of the trophy. They have won the trophy five times, more than any other nation, and have not lost an African Nations’ Cup game since they lost 2-1 to Algeria in 2004.
» That said, the Ivory Coast have been the form side of the tournament so far, and along with Ghana, they are the only side left in the competition with a 100 per cent record - four wins from four games, scoring thirteen goals, and conceding just once. They put four past Benin and three past Mali in the group stages, before dispatching of Guinea 5-0 in the quarter finals on Sunday.
» They have scored at least once in their last eight internationals, and have an average of exactly three goals per game over that period.
» If you’re looking for a likely scorer for the Ivory Coast a wise bet would be on Kalou (having scored five goals in his last six internationals) or Drogba (six in his last eight).
» chickendinner superfact: Whilst this is their seventeenth appearance in the African Nations Cup, the Ivory Coast have won the trophy just once, beating Ghana on penalties in the final in 1992. They have only ever reached the final on one other occasion in their history - in 2006 when they went on to lose against Egypt in the final.
» Egypt are currently on an unbeaten run of nine matches.
» Egypt enjoyed an impressive 4-2 victory over Cameroon in the group stages, and a 2-1 victory over Angola in the quarter final. Their form has been good.
» They have scored ten goals in the competition so far, an average of 2.5 a game, and have scored at least once in their last eight internationals.
» chickendinner superfact: The sides have already met once this season, in a friendly in Egypt in August 2007. The game ended as a 0-0 stalemate. The last African Nations’ Cup meeting between the sides was the 2006 final, which was also a 0-0 (Egypt won4-2 on penalties).
Africa Cup of Nations Betting, best odds
