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The much-anticipated AFCON is finally here and hosts, Ivory Coast kick off the tournament with a game against Guinea-Bissau in what will be their first ever meeting at the senior level. The opening match sets the stage for thrilling matchups on Matchday 1, including a tricky fixture for Nigeria against Equatorial Guinea, as well as an enticing clash between Cameroon and Guinea in Group C.  

If the mention of three different Guinea teams in these sentences has left you a bit dizzy, fret not – [we have the ideal explainer right here to clarify the distinctions between them.](https://m.betking.com/blog/betting-tips/afcon-2023-preview-which-guinea-reigns-supreme/) So, without further ado, let’s explore these matchups while also discussing the betting offers on the best betting site in Nigeria, BetKing. 

 

**Nigeria vs. Equatorial Guinea**  

The Super Eagles have faced a series of setbacks in the lead-up to this tournament, contributing to a sense of unease among fans. Injuries to key players like Taiwo Awoniyi, Wilfred Ndidi, and Victor Boniface have diminished confidence, while the fitness concerns of Kelechi Iheanacho and Sadiq Umar further add to the team’s worries. Nigeria’s recent 2-0 loss to Guinea in a warm-up game has raised additional questions, with unresolved issues looming large. 

One significant concern revolves around the goalkeeper position. Francis Uzoho’s performances haven’t instilled confidence, and his alternative, Stanley Nwabali, hasn’t exactly delivered his best performances in the national team jersey. With less than 48 hours to kickoff, head coach José Peseiro has yet to announce a starting goalkeeper – a worry for everyone except Equatorial Guinea. 

Speaking of Equatorial Guinea, they are in a decent run of form. Unlike the Super Eagles, who won none of their two opening World Cup Qualifying games, Equatorial Guinea claimed all 6 points from theirs while keeping 2 clean sheets. Impressively, they haven’t suffered a defeat since 2022, with Cameroon being the last team to hand them a loss. Despite having just three appearances at the AFCON, Equatorial Guinea has consistently performed well, reaching the quarter-finals on each occasion, and even advancing to the semi-finals in 2015. Our bet of the day is for Equatorial Guinea to avoid defeat, and we have the best odds for this among all betting sites. 

While the AFCON is usually characterised by low-scoring games, and Equatorial Guinea are usually involved in tight games, this is one where experts in our online sports betting community believe we could see a few goals. The Super Eagles have kept just one clean sheet in their last 12 games, no thanks to their leaky defense. At the same time, they have a very potent attack led by current African Player of the Year, Victor Osimhen, so they should get at least a goal. With this in mind, we expect both teams to score.  

 
**Betting Tips:** 

● Double Chance: Equatorial Guinea to Win or Draw 

● Both Teams to Score  

● Victor Osimhen Anytime Scorer 

**Egypt vs. Mozambique** 

Egypt enters this tournament in excellent form, with their lone defeat since June 2022 being a 3-1 loss to Tunisia in a friendly held back in September, and this impressive record sets the stage for their pursuit of an 8th AFCON title. Mozambique, meanwhile, are making a return since 2010 after they comfortably finished second in qualifying, four points behind defending African champions Senegal.  

This will be Mozambique’s 5th AFCON appearance and for them, the primary aim is securing at least one victory. In their 12 games in this competition, they have lost 10 and drawn 2. Additionally, they do not pose a significant goal threat, with their highest scorers in the qualifiers being Clésio Baúque and Geny Catamo, each scoring two goals. 

On the opposing side is a more formidable Egypt team, captained by the prolific Mo Salah. Fuelled by the disappointment of losing 2 of the last 3 AFCON finals, Salah is eager to kick-start this tournament with the aim of leading the Pharaohs to glory for the first time since 2010. Salah, who has recorded 18 goals and 8 assists this season, is determined to add to his impressive tally of 55 international goals. As the primary set-piece taker and the team’s most dangerous offensive weapon, we expect him to find the scoresheet.  

 
**Betting Tips:** 

● Egypt to Win  

● Mo Salah Anytime Scorer 

**Ghana vs. Cape Verde**  

The significance of this opening game is immense for Ghana, considering their disappointing performance in the last AFCON. In the 2022 AFCON, they managed only 1 point out of a possible 9, leading to a shocking exit in the group stage. The aftermath of their 3-2 defeat to Comoros, a must-win game on Matchday 3, is still resoundingly silent. Andre Ayew received a red card in the 25th minute of that match. 

 Later that year, Ghana faced another group stage exit, this time at the FIFA World Cup, losing a crucial Matchday 3 game to Uruguay by a 2-0 margin. Andre Ayew missed a penalty in the 21st minute of that match.  

These recent disappointments amplify the importance of this game, as they aim to redeem themselves on the continental stage. [Which is why we view them as one of the scrappy underdogs at AFCON 2023.](https://m.betking.com/blog/betting-tips/afcon-2023-cash-out-betting-on-underdogs/) There’s little optimism that Chris Hughton can end the Black Stars’ 42 year wait for the AFCON title. Since his appointment last year, they’ve struggled for form, and have dropped to #60 on the FIFA Ranking, no thanks to their 3 defeats in 5 games. Their warm-up game in the lead up to this tournament ended in a goalless draw with Namibia and before that, they lost to Comoros in the World Cup Qualifiers - yes, Comoros again. An additional cause for concern is their meagre goal-scoring record, having found the net only once in their last five games.  

Awaiting Ghana - and Andre Ayew - is a Cape Verde side that may seem underwhelming on paper but has earned a reputation for securing results when it truly counts. Despite their modest appearance, they’ve impressively grabbed 4 points from their first 2 World Cup qualifiers, showcasing their ability to deliver. The team leans heavily on the experience of veteran defender Stopira, aged 35, and record cap-holder Ryan Mendes, aged 34, who are instrumental in leading their offensive efforts, and we expect more of that.  

 
**Betting Tips:** 

● Under 1.5 Total Goals 

● Under 1.5 Ghana Goals 

● Cape Verde to win Either Half 

**Senegal vs. Gambia**  

For Gambia, they can count themselves as winners for arriving Ivory Coast safely. A shortage of oxygen during their flight to Ivory Coast necessitated an emergency return to Banjul International Airport in Gambia, and there are reports that multiple players had passed out. Fortunately, the danger was averted, and they found their way back to Ivory Coast in good health. 

To the game itself, Gambia will seek to replicate their performance from 2022, where group stage wins over Tunisia and Guinea served as a foundation for their quarter-finals run, much to the surprise of many fans. However, defeats in their recent World Cup qualifiers against Burundi and Ivory Coast have left them [entering this tournament with more questions than answers.](https://m.betking.com/blog/betting-tips/afcon-2023-cash-out-betting-on-underdogs/) 

Senegal, meanwhile, come into this tournament as defending Champions, though the core of their winning squad are now past their prime and have swapped European football for the riches in the Saudi Pro League. Despite this shift, the team still possesses sufficient quality to command respect from their opponents. In 2023, the senior team played 9 games, winning 6, including a memorable 4-2 triumph over Brazil which saw a Sadio Mane brace. Mane led the country in goals scored during the qualifiers (6) and only Victor Osimhen (10) outscored him on the continent. Maintaining their defensive solidity, a characteristic of their successful 2022 AFCON campaign, they have conceded just 1 goal in their last 5 games, which includes a recent warm-up match against Niger. With a crucial fixture against Cameroon awaiting them on Matchday 2, there is a heightened sense of urgency to secure a positive result in this game and they are well-equipped to deliver. 

 
**Betting Tips:** 

● Senegal to win 

● Senegal to Keep a clean sheet 

● Sadio Mane anytime Scorer  

**Cameroon vs. Guinea**  

This has the potential to be the game of the matchday, albeit one that doesn’t promise many goals. Guinea’s midfield three of Naby Keïta, Amadou Diawara, and 20-year-old Ilaix Moriba is good enough to go against almost any midfield on the continent and Cameroon will have their work cut out for them in the middle of the park. To add to their weapons, in attack, Guinea boasts one of the hottest African strikers in Serhou Guirassy who has 19 goals in 16 games for Bundesliga side, Stuttgart.  

Having suffered Round of 16 exits in the last two AFCONs, there is widespread belief that they can go further this time around despite being drawn in a Group of Death that also contains defending Champions, Senegal. Their significant 2-0 victory over Nigeria in the warm-up served as a confidence boost, especially considering they kept a potent Nigerian attack off the scoresheet. 

Cameroon enters the tournament with less-than-impressive form, having drawn a warm-up match against Zambia. Their recent draw against Libya in the World Cup qualifier also left their fan base furious as it was the latest in a string of poor results. In fact, they won just 2 games in 2023; a pair of 3-0 home wins against minnows Burundi and Mauritius. Adding to their concerns is the absence of star player Bryan Mbeumo, ruled out with an ankle injury, and the uncertainty surrounding the availability of Manchester United’s André Onana. Less than 24 hours before this game against Guinea kicks off, Onana will be in goal for Manchester United when they play Spurs, and this arrangement has rightfully angered a section of the Cameroonian fanbase.  

Onana, who famously clashed with Head Coach Rigobert Song at the FIFA World Cup, was sent home during the tournament. The unresolved issues with Coach Song, as well as with President of the Football Federation Samuel Eto’o, suggest that his arrival might be more of a distraction than a positive influence for the team. 

 
**Betting Tips:**

● Double Chance: Guinea to Win or Draw 

● Under 2.5 goals 

● Serhou Guirassy anytime scorer 

**Algeria vs. Angola**  

After ending a 29-year wait for an AFCON title with victory in 2019, Algeria had a disappointing title defense in 2022, and were eliminated in the group stage. The stark contrast saw them transition from winning 6 and drawing 1 of their 7 games in 2019 to not securing a single victory in 2022. The woes continued as they failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup in fellow Arab nation Qatar, making 2022 a bitter year for them. Now, the Greens, appears to have learned from their mistakes and are determined to reclaim the title.  

Heading into this tournament, they are arguably the most in-form team, winning 7 and drawing 3 of their 10 games in 2023. In the warm-up games leading to this opening match, they secured impressive 3-0 and 4-0 victories over Togo and Burundi, showing their readiness to make a significant impact in the tournament itself. 

Angola, on the other hand, is making a comeback to the tournament after missing out on the last edition. Their recent AFCON performances have been less than stellar, failing to secure a victory in each of their last two tournament appearances, and they could potentially face a significant challenge yet again. In 2023, they won just 2 of 12 games, scoring 8 goals in that period. Despite winning one and drawing one of their two warm-up games, expectations are low for them in terms of scoring during the tournament. 

Algeria has an exciting attack to look forward to. **Mohamed Amoura,** who has 17 goals in 25 games across all competitions for Union SG, is having a fine season and is one to watch. He’ll be complemented by playmakers Farès Chaïbi, who has 9 assists for Leverkusen, and Riyad Mahrez who needs no introduction. With such firepower, the expectation is not only for a victory for the 2019 champions, but a comfortable one at that, and we have high odds for these.  

 
**Betting Tips:** 

● Algeria to win 

● Algeria to score over 1.5 goals 

●Mohamed Amoura anytime scorer

[Register on BetKing](https://m.betking.com/account/registration) to get value for your money by betting on [AFCON football matches today.](https://m.betking.com/sports/events/prematch/football/africa-cup-of-nations/2023-afcon) 

Enjoy the expert betting tips for Sunday & Monday games, including our beloved Super Eagles, Mo Salah's Egypt and Cameroon games plus much more!

Betting Tips

AFCON Matchday 1 Betting Tips