Two weeks into AFCON 2023 and one thing is for certain: this has the potential to be the best Africa Cup of Nations tournament ever. Already, there have been goals galore, the usual “unknown player showing up world class stars” and plenty of drama with Cote d’Ivoire’s firing of Jean-Louis Gasset and then trying to bring in a new manager on loan the pick of the bunch.
Up next? The Round of 16, where several juicy storylines are poised to come into play. Can Cameroon halt their poor run against The Super Eagles? Can Cote d’Ivoire somehow, against all odds, beat tournament favorites, Senegal after getting a second chance? Can Mo Salah return in time to lead Egypt to victory?
To help answer those questions, we’ve also identified some group stage trends that will help you make better bet predictions in the coming games. And since you crave the best odds, we’ll use the ones provided by leading Nigerian bookmaker, BetKing.
“Both teams to score” markets.
Going into the tournament, the expectation of most experts was that AFCON 2023 would be a low-scoring tournament due to the steady decline in goals/game ration since AFCON 2008. AFCON 2023 has already seen 89 goals scored, just 11 goals less than the 100 goals scored in the entirety of AFCON 2021 with 16 matches left to go. We expect several of the knockout games to continue that trend.
Nigeria vs Cameroon is one of the biggest rivalries in African football. While the Indomitable Lions have been underwhelming at this tournament and are rightly viewed as underdogs, the imminent return of Vincent Aboubakar will be a boost for Cameroon. The Besiktas forward won the Golden Boot award at AFCON 2021 and will be eager to get off the mark against Nigeria.
The Super Eagles have hung their hat on a sterling defence at AFCON 2023 and have conceded just once despite their star-studded attack. Upfront, Victor Osimhen has been underwhelming, missing several presentable chances, and scoring just once. Against Cameroon, however, we expect him to rise to the occasion and show his best form.
Get fantastic odds on both teams to score @ 2.23 with BetKing.
“1X2” markets
On the surface, Senegal vs Ivory Coast is a mismatch where the Teranga Liona have all the advantages. However, the Elephants might still have one more trick up their sleeve – home support. On Monday, Sadio Mane and co will have to contend with a hostile home crowd who will aim to put pressure on the officials at every opportunity.
Despite the home advantage however, we don’t think Cote d’Ivoire is anywhere close to Senegal in terms of footballing quality. Where Senegal scored eight goals in the group stage and conceded just once, the hosts scored just twice and conceded twice. And as they showed against Equatorial Guinea, they lack the ability to game plan effectively.
This is football and anything can happen. But barring a miracle, we expect a Senegal win here.
BetKing has Senegal to beat Ivory Coast valued @ 2.50
“Over” markets
Where better to find a high-scoring game than that involving the team with the most goals at AFCON 2023? Equatorial Guinea vs Guinea is poised to be a cracker and it’s clear to see why. With 9 goals, Equatorial Guinea leads the way offensively and have conceded just three goals so far.
Their Sunday opponents Guinea have a similar name, but don’t play as well as their “Guinea” namesake. What they do have is an experienced squad including former Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita, as well as VfB Stuttgart marksman, Serhou Guirassy.
We think Los Elefantes have the edge here, but the focus is goals. We also think this will be a high-scoring fixture.
Bet on over 2.5 goals in the Equatorial Guinea vs Guinea match @ 2.82
“Under” markets
Despite the high-scoring rate at AFCON 2023, there are still some outliers. And we think Mali vs Burkina Faso is one of them.
Despite finishing top of Group E, Mali scored just three goals and conceded once, just like the Super Eagles. Unlike the Super Eagles, they had a record of one win, one draw and one loss.
Like Mali, Burkina Faso has also scored just three goals at AFCON 2023; averaging a goal/game and qualified from Group D due to Algeria’s inability to meet pre-tournament expectations.
As a result, we think this will be a low-scoring game.
Bet on Under 2.5 goals in this fixture @ 1.42
As you cheer on the Super Eagles against Cameroon this weekend, remember that there’s a potential opportunity to win big betting on AFCON 2023 games as well as other competitions and sports. And even better, you have may more exciting markets to bet on, in addition to the ones mentioned above.
To begin, sign up with BetKing, explore their blog for expert betting tips and you’re halfway to the big wins that you crave!
