The reliable bookmaker 1xBet announces the Africa Cup of Nations 1/8 finals matches, which will be held from January 27 to 30.
Angola v Namibia
Both teams are not among the top 100 in the FIFA rankings, so theirqualification for the Afcon playoffs came as a big surprise to allexperts. Angola drew with Algeria, and victories over Mauritania (3-2) and Burkina Faso (2-0) brought them first place in Group D. The Black Antelopes played efficiently and effectively even withoutFiorentina forward M’Bala Nzola, who refused to go to thetournament and probably regrets his decision. Now, Angola has everychance to repeat its best result and reach the quarter-finals for the firsttime since 2010.
Namibia has never qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations playoffstage before, and they managed to do this with an astonishing 1-4 goal difference. It is the worst result among the tournament’s top 16 participants. Still, having failed the match against South Africa (0-4), the Brave Warriors played against Tunisia (1-0) and Mali (0-0) without mistakes in defense.
The current stage is already a success for both neighboring countries, but why not aim for more? Angola is considered the favorite bybookmakers, but the Black Antelopes are more comfortable playingon counterattacks. As for Namibia, this squad has a historic chance, which it will hold on to with all its might.
Nigeria v Cameroon
We will see the classic struggle between the African giants in theplayoffs 1st round. Nigeria and Cameroon finished second in theirgroups, but the Super Eagles pragmatically scored 7 points with a 3-1 goal difference, while the Indomitable Lions were on the brink ofdisaster. Only Christopher Wooh’s saving goal in the 91st minute ofthe 3rd round match with Gambia brought the team victory and took itto the playoffs.
Nigeria is rightly considered one of the main Afcon favorites. The Super Eagles are not playing spectacularly yet. Still, they havefearsome attacking potential represented by some of the world’s bestforwards: Victor Osimhen, Samuel Chukwueze, and AdemolaLookman. At the same time, Jose Peseiro has given the team balancedfootball and relies on foolproof defense, while Cameroon hasproblems with it. The team conceded 3 goals after 3 shots on targetfrom Senegal and, in total, allowed their group opponents to score sixtimes.
Cameroon relies on standards and crosses in attack but is often lost inpositional play. The last time the Indomitable Lions beat the Super Eagles was at the Afcon 2000 final, and they did it only in a penaltyshootout. It won’t be any easier to win this time.
Equatorial Guinea v Guinea
Equatorial Guinea was the highest-scoring team in the group stage, having 9 goals despite their opponents being the powerful Nigeriansand the host Ivorians. Emilio Nsue leads the Afcon scoring race with5 goals, and only four squads in the tournament have better resultsthan the 34-year-old forward, who plays in the Spanish third division.
The Elephants are confident in their abilities and want to continue a pleasant tradition. The team takes part in the Africa Cup of Nations for the 4th time, and in each of the 3 previous cases, it reached at leastthe quarter-finals.
It will be difficult for Guinea to contain the opponent’s attack andenter the top 8 for the first time since 2015. The squad did not keep a clean sheet in the matches against Cameroon (1-1) and Senegal (0-2), beating only the group outsider Gambia. The team’s main hopes aretied to better play from Serhou Guirassy and Naby Keïta, who havenot yet shined in the tournament.
Egypt v DR Congo
The group stage two most “peaceful” teams will meet in the 1/8 finals. Egypt and DR Congo ended all their AFCON matches in a draw, so no one will be surprised if, on January 28, they bring thematter to a penalty shootout.
Egypt has lost its main star and is undergoing an emotionally difficulttournament. In the first round, Mohamed Salah scored a saving goalfor the Pharaohs in the compensated time against Mozambique butwas seriously injured during the next game with Ghana. Now, theforward is under the specialists‘ supervision in Liverpool and, according to their forecasts, has only a theoretical chance of helpinghis team in the final. So, Mo’s partners will fight not only for theirhomeland and title but also for their captain.
DR Congo lost 4 official matches in a row to Egypt and is consideredthe struggle’s underdog. Still, the Leopards managed to secure a drawwith the formidable Moroccans in the group. Will they break theseries of Egyptian failures?
Cape Verde v Mauritania
The only victory in the group over Algeria was Mauritania’s first everat the Afcon, which allowed it to qualify for the playoffs with 3 points. The Lions of Chinguetti have already completed the main task, but the appetite comes with eating – after all, the opponent is notconsidered an African grand. Mauritania plays thoughtful andorganized football and still can surprise.
According to 1xBet, Cape Verde is the match favorite. The Blue Sharks flaunted in the group stage and showed the magic of numbers: they scored 7 points and 7 goals thanks to 7 different players winningGroup B. Their head coach, Bubista, relies on disciplined football, and the team is ready to at least repeat its success in 2013 when theyreached the tournament 1/4.
Senegal v Côte d’Ivoire
The reigning Africa Cup of Nations champion Senegal began theirtitle defense with convincing victories in all three group stage gameswith a total 8-1 score. The Lions of Teranga delight with their teamplay, which does not depend critically on Sadio Mane’s actions. One of the main tournament stars, representing Saudi Al Nassr, has 1 goaland 2 assists, but the squad scored more than half of the goals withoutits leader. Now, it is the opportune moment for powerful Senegal tobeat Côte d’Ivoire for the first time at the Afcon.
The tournament hosts, considered one of the favorites, cannot bear theburden of responsibility and pressure from their own stands. Côted’Ivoire made it into the playoffs with great difficulty, beating onlyoutright outsider Guinea-Bissau. The local federation fired theircoach, Jean-Louis Gasset, after a terrible match in the 3rd roundagainst Equatorial Guinea (0-4) and did not change their mind evenwhen the team qualified for the 1/8 finals. Didier Drogba’s footballheirs are poorly prepared for the tournament, and in the game withSenegal, they can only hope for a miracle and the loyal fans’ support.
Mali v Burkina Faso
Without a doubt, this is one of the most unpredictable pairings at the1/8 stage! The Mali national team won Group E with one goalconceded, although, during the tournament, Yves Bissouma fromTottenham and Moussa Diarra from Toulouse got sick with malaria. The Eagles have shown resilience and are looking to enter the Afcontop eight for the first time since 2013.
Burkina Faso knows how to prepare for the main competition on thecontinent like no one else – over the past 11 years, the squad has madeit to the Afcon semifinals three times. The Stallions conceded 4 goalsin the group but defended well in key matches. There are few chancesto see many goals in this struggle – both teams are unlikely to takerisks.
Morocco v South Africa
After the 2022 World Cup semi-finals, the Moroccans want to buildon their success and win the Africa Cup of Nations for the first timesince 1976. One of the main competition favorites easily won Group F with 7 points and saved its main trump cards for the playoffs. The Moroccan national team’s favorite status looks obvious, but do not beso quick to give victory to the Atlas Lions. Morocco has never beatenSouth Africa in the Africa Cup of Nations final and lost to the BafanaBafana in qualifying for the tournament in June 2023.
The South African national team’s best results are now a thing of thepast – today, they rely on players from the local championship, but atthe same time, they can defeat any favorite. For example, at the Afconin 2019, they managed to sensationally eliminate Egypt with Salah.
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