The group stage of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is over, and now, the 16 teams left will compete to reach the quarterfinals and aim to become champions of the continent. As usual, we will provide professional betting tips backed by the best odds as the tournament progresses. Holders, Senegal, performed exceptionally well, being the only team to win all three of their group stage matches. However, some of the pre-tournament favourites like Egypt, Cameroon, and hosts Ivory Coast were uninspiring. The Ivorians in particular have been shocking. They faced an uncertain wait to know if they would advance after a 4-0 defeat by Equatorial Guinea left them in third place in Group A, causing the Ivorian FA to fire head coach Jean-Louis Gasset mid-tournament. Ultimately, they secured a spot as one of the best third-place finishers only to be rewarded with a game against Senegal. Equatorial Guinea and Cape Verde defied the odds by qualifying with ease, while heavyweights like Ghana and Algeria have already been eliminated from the competition, with the Black Stars firing head coach Chris Hughton after a shocking campaign. Things are really starting to heat up and in this article, we’ll examine the four teams that we believe should be considered strong favourites to win AFCON 2023.
**Full fixture list for the AFCON 2023 knockout Round** ● **Angola vs Namibia** ● **Nigeria vs Cameroon** ● **Equatorial Guinea vs Guinea** ● **Egypt vs DR Congo** ● **Cape Verde vs Mauritania** ● **Senegal vs Ivory Coast** ● **Mali vs Burkina Faso** ● **Morocco vs South Africa** **When does the AFCON 2023 knockout round begin?** The knockout stage begins on Saturday, January 27th and runs until Tuesday, January 30, 2024.
**AFCON 2023 Favourites** **1 . Senegal** The Teranga Lions have lived up to their billing as tournament favourites by sweeping through the group stage and winning all three games with 8 goals scored and just 1 conceded. The defending champions have now lost just once in their last 18 outings, further increasing the possibility of them defending their AFCON title. Sadio Mane hasn't even been required to carry the team on his own, as the goalscoring burden has been shared across the team (8 goals have come from 7 players).
Up next for Aliou Cisse’s men is a clash against hosts Ivory Coast who began the tournament with some promise, winning 2-0 against Guinea-Bissau, but have been dreadful since. The Ivorians made it into the last 16 by the skin of their teeth, finishing as one of the best third-placed teams, and they will surely have their work cut out against a rampant Senegal side. Take advantage of our professional betting tips by backing Senegal to go all the way in Cote d’Ivoire.
**2. Morocco** Morocco performed brilliantly in the group stage and were clearly on a different level to their group stage opponents. Topping Group F with seven points, the Atlas Lions scored five goals and conceded only once, positioning themselves as strong contenders to go far in the tournament.
In the round of 16, they will face South Africa, a team that has shown nothing to suggest they can stop this Moroccan side, even considering the surprise 4-0 win over Namibia in their second group game. Morocco are one of the strongest teams in world football at the moment, never mind AFCON 2023, and their strong showing in the group stages suggests a group ready to go as far as possible. The Atlas Lions should have more than enough to easily defeat South Africa, and BetKing offers the best odds for them to go all the way.
In the round of 16, they will face South Africa, a team that has shown nothing to suggest they can stop this Moroccan side, even considering the surprise 4-0 win over Namibia in their second group game. Morocco are one of the strongest teams in world football at the moment, never mind AFCON 2023, and their strong showing in the group stages suggests a group ready to go as far as possible. The Atlas Lions should have more than enough to easily defeat South Africa, and BetKing offers the best odds for them to go all the way.
One of the main talking points will surround Victor Osimhen and his ability to provide the goals needed. He has had an underwhelming tournament, scoring one goal so far, but his talent is undeniable, and the Super Eagles will always have a chance as long as the Napoli man is on the field. Want the best odds? Back Nigeria to go all the way in Ivory Coast
**4. Equatorial Guinea** When you defeat the host nation 4-0, everyone sits up and takes notice. Equatorial Guinea entered AFCON as one of the lowest-rated teams with no real chance of achieving anything monumental, but they truly shattered the odds. After a commendable 1-1 draw with Nigeria in their tournament opener, they carved Guinea-Bissau open multiple times to come away with a 4-2 victory, led by the irrepressible Emilio Nsue, who is the competition’s top scorer with 5 goals.
They then went to Abidjan to hand the hosts Ivory Coast, a 4-0 trouncing, and at this point, they cannot be overlooked. They will face Guinea in the Round of 16 and must fancy their chances of making it into the quarterfinals and who knows, maybe go even further as this fairy tale continues. Looking for unbelievably high odds? Back Equatorial Guinea to go all the way in Ivory Coast.
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