I think you might be right about that - Upon zooming in quite a bit on 10N 35W one can make out a weak, but sizable, low level circulation embedded within the northern portion of the ITCZ. Looks like it may stay north enough as to not become devoured back into the ITCZ, and perhaps slowly trend WNW. If that is where they meant to place 97 this all makes more sense (As splitting 96 into two distinct centers at this point seems entirely premature, especially given that the 22.5N 49W coc is so much better developed than the pimple near 20N)