Tournament favourites Cote d'Ivoire and Mali go head-to-head for a place in the final of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations at the Stade d'Angondjé in Libreville on Wednesday.
The Ivorians will be heavily tipped to win and man-for-man possess a superior squad, but Mali will rely on Ivorian nerves and their own guts and determination, well demonstrated in the tournament so far, to see them through.
Ivorian coach Francois Zahoui was present when Mali beat Gabon on penalties in their quarter-final on Sunday and says his side will not underestimate their less illustrious opponents.
"In their heads Gabon had already beaten Mali," Zahoui said. "But there was a determination in Mali that saw them win and we must be wary. Our victory will not come in our minds, but on the pitch.
"He who has already been burned by fire knows what to expect. We experienced disappointment in 2006, 2008 and 2010. We must not forget that we will play a game that will be like a 'final before the final' on Wednesday."
Cote d'Ivoire go into the match with no injury problems, Salomon Kalou having recovered from his hamstring problem and goalkeeper Boubacar Barry showing no sign of the muscle injury he collected in the quarter-final win over Equatorial Guinea.
Mali coach Alain Giresse started the mind games early when he said that the Ivorians should feel the weight of expectation, while his side have nothing to lose.
"Cote d'Ivoire are favourites, they know the pressure is on them," he said. "In contrast, we have nothing to lose, we'll do our maximum to go even further in this competition."
He is not wrong. Failure in the semi-finals would be viewed as another finals disaster for the top-ranked Cote d'Ivoire side, while Mali would still be applauded by fans for having made it this far.
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Key to Malien success will be star midfielder Seydou Keita, who returned from a 20-month self-imposed exile for this tournament. The Barcelona star has been the catalyst for their success in this tournament.
When Mali last appeared in the Nations Cup semi-finals it was another Keita, Fantamady, who led them to a 4-3 extra-time victory over Zaire.
Seydou has the ability to match that feat and says he is inspired to do so.
"I'm very proud to wear this shirt. I've won a lot with Barcelona but this [reaching the semi-finals] is like winning a cup," Keita said.
"I've always loved my country, and I was urged to come back by the president [President Amadou Toumani Touré]... Even my mother did her maximum to persuade me to return. When Mali win it's a completely different feeling, I feel like a 'gamin' [kid]."
This semi-final might well be decided by the battle between the two teams' respective superstars - Cote d'Ivoire's Didier Drogba and Keita.
Each has a talismanic effect on his side and each is able to provide a bit of magic to win what could be a very tight encounter. They both have the experience and skill to decide a game that will likely go down to the wire.
