We take a look at the AFCON-favourites for the nation that will emerge the victor at the end of the competition. Matchday one of the ongoing AFCON is over with teams making their intentions known. The second matchday is still ongoing as at the time of writing, so some teams won’t be fully dissected. We are looking at the chances of lifting the trophy for pre-tournament favourites at this early stage.
Egypt
The hosts started this tournament with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Zimbabwe at the Cairo international stadium. Mahmoud Hassan scored the lone goal and that was followed by a two-nil victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Egyptians will have to play better in the knockout rounds to really stand a chance in the remaining tournament.
Senegal
Won the opening match 2-0 against Tanzania on Sunday. The Scorers for Senegal were Keita Balde and Kreppin Diatta. The victory was followed by a 1-0 reverse against Algeria to leave them second in their group. They play their final group match against Kenya for a chance in the knockout stages. The Senegalese will have to improve overnight if they want to be champions come July 19.
Nigeria
The Super Eagles were impressive but lacked precision in their matchup with Burundi. Odion Ighalo came on to score at the 75th minute and the match ended 1-0 in favour of the Eagles. A tight contest against Guinea saw an unlikely hero in Kenneth Omeruo. Who scored to help the Super Eagles win the match. Two victories were enough to qualify for the next round. Going forward they will have to work on taking their chances when it presents itself.
Cameroon
The Indomitable Lions were Thorough in the 2-0 win over Guinea-Bissau. The defending champions will be a force to reckon with if initial impressions are anything to go by. They play the Black Stars of Ghana next and that will really test their resolve to show their true fighting spirit.
Algeria
The Algerians have impressed tremendously in this tournament. Beating Kenya 2-0 in the first match and then following it up with another 1-0 victory against Senegal. The second victory was even more impressive as it came against a fellow contender. Other teams should take notice and tread lightly if they do meet before the end of the tournament.
Ghana
Drew its first match against fellow West African Benin Republic 2-2 and ended the match with ten men. The Ayew brothers Jordan and Andre scored for Ghana, while Mickael Pote scored both goals for Benin. They next face Defending champions Cameroon and will need to turn things around fast. An early exit seems unlikely and would be humiliating if it should happen.
Mali
Will be this tournament dark horse and a slight outsider along with Tunisia as one of the Afcon-favourites. They impressed well in the 4-1 trouncing of Mauritania. Their real test comes today against Tunisia and that will prove a true test of their mettle against a real opponent.
The best professionals will be available to help you with the best predictions during the course of the whole tournament. The preceding article to AFCON-favourites can be read here. Join us on www.confirmbets.com today to get access to top football tips from the best experts around the world to make you a winner.
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