It's a match-up that would light up any of the great stadiums in the world - on Sunday those at Rustenburg will be privileged to see two of Africa's greatest players - John Obi Mikel and Yaya Toure - going head to head.
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The two have met on numerous occasions in the past when Mikel's Chelsea take on Toure's Manchester City.
This time its not club loyalties or the English Premier League title on the line, but rather national pride and a spot in the Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals which will be at stake when Nigeria clash with the Ivory Coast in a west African derby worthy of the final itself.
Whoever gets the better of this match may well go on to see their team advancing through to the last four.
Mikel, the more defensive minded of the two, will need to put in a performance of heroic proportions as he looks to stop the giant frame of Toure from swaying the game in the favour of the 2012 losing finalists.
Mikel is very much aware that the focus of many will fall upon the clash between himself and Toure.
"I know that Africa wants the best of both countries in the quarterfinal and personally I'm looking forward to the midfield battle against Ivorian Yaya Toure, that will be one good spectacle that Africans will like to see and I know that Toure is also relishing it," he said.
Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi, who was part of the last Super Eagles side to win the tournament, back in 1994, is also excited about the challenge of seeing his less experienced side taking on the might of Côte d'Ivoire's big stars.
He added: "If you must win a trophy you must beat the biggest and best teams, so why should we be afraid of any team. The bigger they come the bigger they will fall.
"There is no small team anywhere and the Ivorians know. It's a classic and we will show why we are the Super Eagles on Sunday."
By Anthony McLennan
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