Potential opponent for Ivory Coast: Ethiopia

With each team playing two games each, the 2013 African Cup of Nations could not be any tighter. Yet, the Ivory Coast became the first team to qualify, while Algeria became the first team eliminated from the tournament. With the Ivory Coast looking on track to win its first African Cup of Nations since 1992, we look at the records of the potential quarterfinals opponents for the Ivory Coast to see if the country can return to the final yet again.

While its next game is against Algeria, the Ivory Coast would not play a meaningful match until February 3 in the quarterfinals at Rustenburg:

Ivory Coast vs Ethiopia

Ethiopia can finish as runners-up at best in its group. To do that, Ethiopia must defeat Nigeria and Zambia must either lose or draw against Burkina Faso. If that happens, Ethiopia will meet the Ivory Coast for the fourth time ever. 

While the other three meetings have been at AFCON, reach the Ethiopia has not faced the Ivory Coast in nearly 43 years. The previous three meetings are as follows:

1968 African Cup of Nations (first meeting in the group stage; second meeting in the third-place match)

• January 14, 1968: Ethiopia 1, Ivory Coast 0
• Game played at Haile Selassie Stadium in Addis Ababa
• January 21, 1968: Ivory Coast 1, Ethiopia 0
• Game played at Haile Selassie Stadium in Addis Ababa

1970 African Cup of Nations

• February 10, 1970: Ivory Coast 6, Ethiopia 1
• Game played at Municipal Stadium in Khartoum, Sudan