Defending champions Ivory Coast will play Zambia at Stade de la Paix on Friday night in the first leg of their bid to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

The teams will compete against Sierra Leone and Chad for two spots at the championship tournament in Morocco the following year in Group G of the qualifications.

Les Elephants have played in friendlies against Benin Republic and Uruguay since defeating Nigeria in the AFCON final.

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They have also earned four points out of a possible six in World Cup qualifiers against Gabon and, most recently, Kenya.

As of right moment, Ivory Coast is leading their World Cup qualifying group.

They will now try to start the AFCON qualifiers strong in order to become the first team since Egypt to win back-to-back titles.

When Zambia emerged victorious from the 2012 AFCON, defeating Ivory Coast in a penalty shootout, it was one of the biggest upsets in African football history.

Since then, though, Chipolopolo have not performed well on the continent; in the two AFCON tournaments that followed (in 2013 and 2015), they were unable to advance past the group stages.

Between 2017 and 2021, they had three consecutive no-shows.

Here is how both teams line up

Ivory Coast Starting XI

Fofana, Singo, Adingra, Diakite, Ndicka, Seri, Kessie, Guessand, Christopher, Agbadou, Diallo

Zambia Starting XI