The last meeting between the two teams in AFCON finals saw Cote d’Ivoire winning 4-0 in Tunisia 1994. Sierra Leone may seek revenge despite a very late one.
On the Ivorian side, the prospect of qualifying for the Round of 16 and the desire to make an impression after a difficult win against Equatorial Guinea.
Max Alain Gradel colleagues will look to guarantee their spot in the next round before locking horns with title holders Algeria in what could be a tricky encounter.
Meanwhile, Sierra Leone with high morale after forcing Les Fennecs for a draw that was wildly celebrated in the streets of Freetown and other cities at home would be looking maybe for a long-awaited AFCON victory.
The Leone Stars last won an AFCON game back in 1996, a 2-1 win over Burkina Faso in Bloemfontein, South Africa.