The African Cup of Nations does not let up, and the matchday 2 of the group stage will kick off with a great match between Ivory Coast and Nigeria, two candidates to win the trophy.
However, it is not the only match of high interest, as Mohamed Salah’s Egypt will face Ghana, while Sadio Mané’s Senegal will play against the always-favored Cameroon.
Finally, Algeria, with Riyad Mahrez, will have a crucial game against Burkina Faso.
African Cup Group Stage Matchday 2:Â Ivory Coast vs. Nigeria
When and Where?
Thursday, January 18th, at noon ET in the Alassane Ouattara Stadium
Moneyline odds:
Ivory Coast 2.09
Nigeria 4.12
Draw Offs:
3.04
Where Can I Watch?
beIN Sports and Fanatiz USAÂ Â
Ivory Coast will no longer have Didier Drogba or the Toure brothers, but still has a strong team with international experience, starting with defender Evan Ndicka and midfielders Franck Kessie and Seko Fofana. In the first match, they beat Guinea Bissau 2-0, with goals from Fofana and Jean-Philippe Krasso, but they need to improve for their next game.
Nigeria is also a team with a lot of power, especially because of forward Victor Osimhen, one of the best strikers in the world, as well as Alex Iwobi and Ademola Lookman. However, in the first game, they were held to a 1-1 draw by Equatorial Guinea, a priori inferior team. It was the Napoli striker who scored the goal.
Ivory Coast vs. Nigeria Betting Pick: Ivory Coast
African Cup Group Stage Matchday 2:Â Egypt vs. Ghana
When and Where?
Thursday, January 18th, 3:00 pm ET at the Stade Félix-Houphouët-Boigny
Moneyline odds:
Egypt 1.95
Ghana 4.45
Draw Offs:
3.18
Where Can I Watch?
beIN Sports and Fanatiz USAÂ Â
Mohamed Salah started the African Cup in a great way, scoring and providing an assist for Egypt, and they managed to rescue a 2-2 draw against Mozambique, taking into account that the Liverpool player’s goal was a penalty in the 90+7th minute. The striker is one of the biggest stars of this competition, but he knows that he must push his team and improve to conquer the title that escaped them in the last edition after losing to Senegal.
Ghana got off on the wrong foot in this competition, losing 2-1 to Cape Verde, despite having most of its stars, such as Andrew Ayew and Antonine Semenyo, two players in the elite of European soccer. The curious thing is that Ikañi Williams was a substitute, but he is a player who can make a difference from the start. This country is going through a bad patch, having won only one of the last six games. A loss practically eliminates them.
Egypt vs. Ghana Betting Pick: Egypt
African Cup Group Stage Matchday 2:Â Senegal vs. Cameroon
When and Where?
Friday, January 19th, at noon ET in the Charles Konan Banny Stadium
Moneyline odds:
Senegal 1.88
Cameroon 4.64
Draw Offs:
3.30
Where Can I Watch?
beIN Sports and Fanatiz USAÂ Â
The current African champion is Senegal, a team with many stars who are living outside the elite, such as Edouard Mendy, Kalidou Koulibaly, and striker Sadio Mané who went to play in the Saudi Arabian league, but it is impossible to doubt their quality. In their debut, this team defeated Gambia 3-0, with Lamine Camara being the great figure with a double and demonstrating the multiple weapons they have.
Cameroon is far from its best years in terms of results and quality of players. The debut ended with a 1-1 draw against Guinea, in a match where they failed to win even though the opponent played the whole second half with a man less. Today, the best Cameroonian player is Napoli midfielder André Zambo Anguissa, the rest are not at the highest level. The team has been plunged into criticism directed at its goalkeeper, André Onana, who arrived late to the training camp in his private jet and was not taken into account for the first game.
Senegal vs. Cameroon Betting Pick: Senegal
African Cup Group Stage Matchday 2:Â Algeria vs. Burkina Faso
When and Where?
Saturday, January 20th, 9:00 am ET at the Stade de la Paix
Moneyline odds:
Algeria 1.73
Burkina Faso 5.40
Draw Offs:
3.48
Where Can I Watch?
beIN Sports and Fanatiz USAÂ Â
Algeria is another of the candidates to win the African tournament, but in their debut, they were held to a 1-1 draw by Angola despite shooting 16 times. There is no doubt that this team depends on the contribution of winger Riyad Mahrez but players like Ismaël Bennaer, Ramy Bensebaini, Islam Slimani, and Sofiane Feghouli are also called upon to lend a hand.
The surprise package in the group is Burkina Faso, as they are the current leaders. But this is explained in that they were able to beat the weak Mauritania 1-0, with a goal from their best player, Aston Villa striker Bertrand Traoré, with a penalty in the 96th minute. Now the ‘Foals’ will try to, at least, draw the next game and thus ensure their passage to the next stage.
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