Hosts, Ghana will put aside their disappointment when they meet Ivory Coast in Saturday's African Nations Cup third-place playoff.

Before the start of the tournament, both teams were highly tipped to make it to the finals but that is now history as they two sides meet for the first time since 1996 when Ghana handed the Ivorians a 2-0 defeat at the Nations Cup in South Africa.

Twelve years on, they would battle it out at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi for the third-place playoff match which gets underway at 17:00GMT after failed attempts to reach the finals.

Claude Le Roy would welcome back captain John Mensah, who was suspended for the semi-final after picking a red card in the 2-1 victory over Nigeria in the previous round. But doubts remain over the availability of striker Asamoah Gyan and midfielder Laryea Kingston with both players down with injuries.

“We want to do our best to play a good game for the people of Kumasi. We are happy to be in Kumasi and they (fans) would be behind us.

“It is a game everybody wanted to see. Though people wanted this two sides to play in the finals but that hasn't been made possible. My team would put in every effort to win,” Claude Le Roy said just before the Ghana team left for Kumasi on Friday.

Ivory Coast, thrashed 4-1 by champions Egypt on Thursday, are likely to be without injured keeper Boubacar Barry who was replaced by Stephane Loboue before halftime in the semi-final.

Saturday’s third-place playoff game would rekindle memories of old, starting from the more recent 1992 long penalty shootout in the finals that saw the Ivorians win the trophy to the 2-0 win by Ghana in the 1996 group stages. However times have changed.

This time, playing for third place is hardly a consolation after both teams came so close to reaching the finals. But pride would be the only motivating factor that would drive both teams to push for a win.