The Africa Cup of Nations heads into the Round of 16 begins on Saturday when Angola take on Namibia and Nigeria clash with Cameroon
Angola 12/10 Draw 2/1 Namibia 11/4
Angola topped Group D, unbeaten with 2 wins and 1 draw. They finished 3 points clear of Burkina Faso with Mauritania on 3 points claiming a best third placed finisher place and Algeria were the big casualties, eliminated with just 2 points.
Angola began with a 1-1 draw against Algeria (Mabululu pen) and then held off Mauritania for a 3-2 win with Dala Gelson scoring twice. In their final group match Angola scored in each half to see off Burkina Faso 2-0.
Namibia contested Group E and they eventually claimed a best third place finisher spot. They won 1, drew 1 and lost 1 of their games to finish on 4 points, below Bafana on goal difference and 3 points behind group winners Mali. Tunisia were the nation eliminated on 2 points.
Namibia came into the tournament ranked 115th in the world but that didn't stop them opening their campaign with a shock 1-0 win over Tunisia thanks to an 88th minute goal from Hotto. It all went wrong in the second outing as they were thrashed 4-0 by South Africa who put the game to bed in the first half with a 3-0 lead and added another late on. That left Namibia vulnerable heading into their final group match against Mali but the game finished without a goal.
Verdict:
A proud day for Namibian football but they come up against an underrated side here. Angola were also beaten once in qualifying for these finals and scored in every group game. Those stats suggest they might have too much for Namibia
Bet: Angola to win at 12/110 with BoyleSports
Note, odds quoted are for regulation time and are correct at the time of writing but are subject to change
Nigeria 1.12/1 Draw 2.05/1 Cameroon 2.95/1
Nigeria were unbeaten in Group A with 2 wins and 1 draw although an inferior goal difference saw them finish as runners up to Equatorial Guinea with hosts Ivory Coast somehow surviving in third spot and Guinea Bissau never got in a blow.
Nigeria were firm favourites to win their opening match against Equatorial Guinea but they needed an equalizer from Osimhen to claim a 1-1 draw. A goal from Troost-Ekon gave them a 1-0 win over Ivory Coast and qualification was wrapped up with another 1-0 win over Guinea-Bissaau thanks to an own goal.
Cameroon were distant runners up to Senegal in Group C. They won 1, drew 1 and lost 1 of their matches and finished ahead of Guinea on goal difference whilst Gambia failed to register a point.
A second half equalizer from Frank Magri earned a 1-1 draw with Guinea in their opening match and they were beaten 3-1 by Senegal in their second outing. Needing a win against Gambia in their final group match Cameroon were staring down the barrel at 2-1 down but an own goal on 87 minutes and an injury time winner from Christopher Wooh saw them win 3-2 and advance to the Round of 16.
Verdict:
Two powerhouse nations but neither impressed in the group stage.
I thought Cameroon were particularly fortunate against Gambia and whilst the Super Eagles have scored only once from open play and are a hesitant pick, they get the vote to edge this.
Bet: Correct Score Nigeria to win at 1.12/1 with BoyleSports
Note, odds quoted are for regulation time and are correct at the time of writing but are subject to change
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