Africa Cup of Nations 2013: Breaking Down Day 8 Matches

After a spectacular first-round of matches from Group D, Day 8 at the Africa Cup of Nations is sure to serve up plenty of action.

Match one will feature Ivory Coast and Tunisia—two teams vying for control of Group D. The second will consist of Algeria vs. Togo—two underdogs looking to gain ground after opening losses.

With such solid matchups, this should be the best day of matches for Group D. And with the top-two and bottom-two teams playing each other, it's sure to mix up the standings.

Ivory Coast vs. Tunisia

Both teams come into this match 1-0, and are tied at the top of Group D with three points. That's currently the second highest point total, just behind South Africa and Ghana's four points.

The Carthage Eagles limp into this one, though, after losing striker Issam Jemaa just 18 minutes into their match with Algeria.

Chalk full of talent, the Ivorians got off to a slow start in their last match against Togo. However, they were able to storm back and take the match 2-1.

Even so, such a pace could be dangerous in this one. Tunisia is very good at slowing down the tempo of it's matches and not allowing a lot of scoring opportunities.

But without their star striker, the squad may find themselves getting shutout.

The Ivorians have some of the best talent in the tournament, and are arguably the strongest squad. Tunisia will have to pull out all the stops to keep Yaya Toure from taking control.

This has all the makings of a good match, but the deck is definitely stacked against Tunisia.

Algeria vs. Togo

Togo has a tough battle in the tournament, but it's capable of an upset. The squad almost took an early lead in their match against Ivory Coast but eventually lost control after a crucial missed goal.

However, they're a physical club capable of taking over a match in a hurry.

Togo's opponent will be Algeria, that enters the match after a 1-0 loss to Tunisia in the first-round of matches.

Algeria lacks a strong front attack, but they have an incredibly talented squad of defenders. It should make for some great one-on-one battles on the pitch.

This match should be a low scoring affair, but still a fun one to watch. With plenty of upset potential, it'll be interesting to see how Togo responds to it's earlier loss.