Ivory Coast U23-Venezuela U20    (won)

Ivory Coast have little room for another mistake in this match. They reached the final of the Maurice Revello Tournament in 2024 and finished as runners-up after losing to Ukraine on penalties, so this is clearly a competition they take seriously. In their opening group match this year, they drew 3-3 with Japan. The result showed their attacking quality, but it also exposed some defensive issues, especially in positioning and transition protection. Ta Bi, Zabi and Konaté were all on the scoresheet, and the squad still has strong individual quality, with players such as Patrick Zabi from Reims, Malick Yalcouyé from Swansea and Jocelin Ta Bi from Sunderland.

More importantly, Ivory Coast still have room to improve. Defensive options like Goudousse Bamba could help bring more balance, while the possible involvement of Gent striker Hyllarion Goore would further strengthen the attack. Goore produced 5 goals and 4 assists in the Belgian Pro League this season. Venezuela, on the other hand, started with a 0-2 defeat against Canada and offered limited attacking threat. Their squad is also mainly built around 2007 and 2008-born players, which means they are likely to suffer in terms of physicality and experience.

The logic here is straightforward: Ivory Coast need a win after dropping points in the first game, and they have the advantage in age, power, individual talent and attacking depth. If Venezuela are forced to defend deep for long periods, it will be difficult for them to survive the full 90 minutes. I expect Ivory Coast to bounce back with a clear win.

Pick: Ivory Coast U23 -0.75