AFCON 2023 is underway and the tournament’s first week has showcased a blend of thrilling performances and incredible results. Highlights include Morocco's impressive victory over Tanzania, Mohamed Kudus' heroic display in Ghana's 2-2 draw with Egypt, and Nigeria's nail biting win against Ivory Coast on their home turf. This is shaping up to be the most exciting AFCON yet. As the competition heats up, BetKing, Nigeria's top online sports betting site, is here to provide insightful analysis of the matches and offer professional betting tips.
**Algeria vs Burkina Faso** Tournament favourites Algeria were left frustrated after a disappointing 1-1 draw in their AFCON 2023 opener against the less fancied Angola. They will now look to bounce back against Burkina Faso, who have proven to be difficult opponents in recent years. Algeria have won just 7 of the previous 18 meetings between these two sides (W7, D5, L6) and only 2 of their last 7 (W2, D3, L2). Djamel Belmadi’s men have not won an AFCON game since winning the tournament in 2019, and will be keen to get that horse off their back. Burkina Faso currently sit top of Group D, but only after a 96th-minute Bertrand Traore penalty gave them all three points against Mauritania. The Stallions’ AFCON record has improved significantly over the past decade as they reached the final in 2013 before coming third and fourth in 2017 and 2021 respectively. Even with their recent progress, defeating Algeria would undoubtedly be a significant achievement for Burkina Faso. It would be their first win against a team ranked inside the world's top 30 since their triumph over Tunisia in January 2022. While the North Africans are the better team on paper, Hubert Velud's Burkina Faso team have only lost twice in their last 14 games against African opposition, and have conceded just 6 in their last 8 games. Bertrand Traoré has now scored in each of Burkina Faso’s last three competitive games and our bet of the day is for The Stallions to avoid defeat against Algeria and Traore to continue his red-hot form.
**Tunisia vs Mali** Tunisia began their AFCON campaign with a shock 1-0 defeat to Namibia, perhaps the most surprising result of AFCON 2023 so far. The Carthage Eagles are at serious risk of failing to make it out of the group stage for the first time since 2013 if they fail to win against Mali. The story is different for Mali, who come into this game on the back of a stunning nine-game unbeaten run across all internationals (W7, D2). That run culminated in a routine 2-0 win over South Africa in their AFCON opener, leaving them a win away, or perhaps even a point away from reaching the knockout phase of AFCON for the third time in a row. Their opening day win over the Bafana Bafana was their 5th win in the last 6 matches and they must be buzzing at the prospect of going as far as possible in this competition. Low scoring affairs are not uncommon when these two sides meet , with three of the four meetings being decided by a single goal. (Tunisia 2 wins, Mali 1 win). Their last meeting ended 0-0 and we are anticipating another low scoring affair. Take advantage of BetKing’s professional betting tips by backing Mali to avoid defeat in a low scoring game.
**Morocco vs DR Congo** After trouncing a sorry Tanzania side in their AFCON opener, Morocco will be looking to build on that 3-0 win when they take on DR Congo. Having become the first African country to reach the semi-finals of a FIFA World Cup in 2022, much is expected of Walid Regragui’s men, and they certainly look equipped to go all the way. The Atlas Lions are also on a three-game unbeaten run (W1, D2) against their upcoming opponents and should feel optimistic about adding to that tally, thanks to the recent run of 5 wins in their last 6 games. DR Congo secured a 1-1 draw against Zambia in their tournament opener, but they can consider themselves fortunate to escape with a point. The team faced struggled, especially in defence, conceding in the 23rd minute due to lapses in concentration and defensive errors. To avoid a potential thrashing from the formidable Moroccan side, Congo must make significant improvements in their defensive performance, addressing issues such as giving away easy passes and making mistakes at the back. Morocco are favourites for this one by all accounts, and their defence, which has seen them concede just 3 goals in their last 9 games, should shut out a Congolese side that has failed to score more than one goal a game in their last 8 outings. Youssef En Nesyri has scored 3 times in his last 2 outings for the Atlas Lions and we are backing him to find the net again to deliver the best odds.
**Guinea Bissau vs Nigeria** Guinea-Bissau are surely booking their flights out of Cote d’Ivoire after opening their campaign with consecutive defeats to hosts Ivory Coast, and Equatorial Guinea. They remain winless in AFCON with those results taking their record to eight losses in 11 matches (L8, D3). However, The Djurtus, who have a goal difference of -5, can still have a say in the group and a positive result against the Super Eagles of Nigeria, could blow the entire group wide open.which could throw the entire group wide open. Baciro Cande, Bissau’s under-pressure boss stated he retains “hope” that they can round off their campaign with a victory that could leave them in with a shout of being a best third-placed finisher, but prospects look bleak, especially due to their leaky defence which has conceded 6 goals already. Improving that record against a Nigeria side who have failed to score in only one of their last ten fixtures (W5, D4, L1) won’t be easy, with that run including a 1-0 victory over Guinea-Bissau last March. The three-time AFCON champions also have plenty to play for, as a draw in this fixture will be enough to reach the knock-out stages for the third time in a row, but they’ll undoubtedly have their eye on a victory which would see them top the group if Equatorial Guinea fail to beat Ivory Coast in the other match. Nigeria tasted their first victory of the tournament against the hosts in Abidjan, winning 1-0 thanks to a Troost-Ekong penalty, won by Victor Osimhen. History suggests they should be capable of adding to that win against a weak Guinea-Bissau side, as the Super Eagles have only lost three of their last 22 AFCON group games (W15, D4), a run dating back to January 2004. Victor Osimhen could really stake his claim for the Golden Boot against this porous Guinea Bissau defence. Want the best odds? Back Nigeria to win big, and Osimhen to find the net.
**Equatorial Guinea vs Ivory Coast** The winner of ths clash will be guaranteed an automatic place in the next round, and after Equatorial Guinea’s 4-1 blitzing of Guinea-Bissau, they must fancy their chances. The situation is much more straightforward for Juan Michá’s men than it is for Jean-Louis Gasset’s Ivorians. All they need to do is avoid defeat and a top-two finish is theirs. They will also avoid the complications of third-placed teams rankings, thus extending their streak of qualifying for the knockout stages in every AFCON finals they’ve participated in. They’ve shown they have what it takes to achieve that goal, as they come into this fixture with no losses in their last 12 matches (W6, D6). Ivory Coast will have to do better than they did in the 1-0 defeat to Nigeria, to stand any chance of ending Equatorial Guinea’s unbeaten streak. A defeat for the hosts will put them at risk of becoming only the second host nation in the last 15 AFCONs to be eliminated in the group stages. The Ivorians are well capable of not becoming a notorious statistic, as they were on a four-game winning streak prior to the loss to Nigeria. They may draw even more confidence from the fact they have won their two previous AFCON meetings against Equatorial Guinea. This could be a high scoring affair as both teams have shown a penchant for open, attaking football so far. Equatorial Guinea captain Emilio Nsue became the first player since 2008 to score an AFCON hat-trick when he hit the milestone in the win against Guinea-Bissau, and we are backing him to score again. Enjoy BetKing’s high odds by backing the hosts to bounce back and secure passage to the next round.
**Cape Verde vs Egypt** The 2023 AFCON has certainly not gone the way Egypt must have expected. Consecutive 2-2 draws, with comebacks needed against Mozambique and Ghana, have raised concerns among their supporters. They needed a 96th-minute Mohamed Salah penalty to salvage a point against Mozambique and struggled against Ghana, where the Liverpool man was substituted after picking up a knock. Luckily, Salah’s injury is not a serious one and he could play some part against Cape Verde — a game the Pharoahs cannot afford to lose. There have been some positives though, as the 7-time AFCON winners have shown their attacking qualities, pegging teams back but failing to finish off chances. The talent and confidence is there for all to see, but defensive work needs to be done if they are to progress deep into this tournament. This will mark the first meeting between these two sides and Cape Verde come into this brimming with confidence after collecting 3 points from their AFCON opener against Ghana. That was a hugely commendable performance, one of giant-killing proportions, and only their 2nd win across their last 7 outings. While, they deserve credit for springing a surprise against Ghana, lightning is unlikely to strike twice, and we are backing Egypt, who have lost just once in their last 15 games to do the business here. The Pharaohs have seen 4 goals scored in each of their 2 AFCON games so far, and we are backing the goal-fest to continue. Enjoy BetKing’s best odds by backing Egypt to win and over 2.5 goals.
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