2019 Africa Cup of Nations Preview and Betting Tips

    2019 Africa Cup of Nations

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    Egypt will host the 32nd edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, with Cameroon hoping to defend the trophy they won two years ago in Gabon. The tournament takes places from June 21 to July 19, with games being played in four host cities: Cairo, Alexandria, Suez and Ismailia. Cairo International Stadium, 30 June Stadium, Alexandria Stadium, Al Salam Stadium, Suez Stadium and Ismailia Stadium will host the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations matches. The title game will be played at Cairo International Stadium on July 19.

    The countries are placed in six groups. Top two teams from each group and four best third-placed sides will book their place in the last 16 of the tournament. Similar to Copa America, if countries are level on points, goal difference, goals scored and disciplinary points, drawing of lots will decide the rankings. In the knockout stages penalties and extra time decide the winner if necessary.

    Home country Egypt have been grouped (A) with the likes of DR Congo, Uganda and Zimbabwe, whereas Nigeria will face Guinea, Madagascar and Burundi in Group B.

    Tanzania have been handed a tough draw at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations as they take on Senegal, Algeria and Kenya in Group C, with Morocco, Ivory Coast, South Africa and Namibia being placed in the Group of Death (D).

    2004 Africa Cup of Nations champions Tunisia have been grouped with Mali, Mauritania and Angola (E), whilst five-time champions Cameroon faces Ghana, Benin and Guinea-Bissau in Group F.

    2019 Africa Cup of Nations favourites

    Egypt are on a quest to win their eight Africa Cup of Nations title. The Pharaohs are seen as favourites to win Group A and, no doubt, all eyes will be on Mohamed Salah when they take on Tanzania in the opening match of the tournament. Mo Salah helped Liverpool win the Champions League trophy earlier in 2019 and seeing that it has been nine years since the Pharaohs won their last Africa Cup of Nations title, the fans believe that the pacey attacker is going to help them bring glory days back to the Egypt national team.

    Despite recording a 2-1 win over Poland in the opening match of their 2018 World Cup campaign, Senegal eventually failed to book their place in the knockout stages of the showpiece tournament. The Lions of Teranga have big ambitions for the 2019 African Nations Cup and the fact that they impressed in the qualifiers is surely giving fans a reason for optimism ahead of their opener against Tanzania. Coach Aliou Cisse has a number of top-class players to choose from, but Kalidou Koulibaly and Sadio Mane are undisputedly the team’s key players. Over the years Koulibaly has established himself as one of best defenders in the world, whereas Mane played an important role in Liverpool’s team that clinched the 2018/2019 Champions League trophy.

    Ghana won their last Africa Cup of Nations title back in 1982. The Black Stars are hungry for success, but they will have to be at their sharpest at this summer’s tournament in Egypt if they are to clinch their fifth trophy. The Ayew brothers made the Ghana Africa Cup of Nations squad, with Atletico Madrid defender Thomas Partey making the cut as well. The Black Stars recorded three wins, while suffering only loss in the qualifiers and they are widely expected to secure a top-two finish in Group F at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

    Speaking of the tournament winner, the likes of Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Morocco should not be written off just yet as their coaches can count on a number of prolific footballers. Alex Iwobi, Ahmed Musa and Kelechi Iheanacho are considered the team’s star players, whereas Real Madrid rising star Marvin Olawale could receive a call-up for the upcoming major tournament. Ajax superstar Hakim Ziyech, who was producing thrilling performances with the Amsterdammers on their way to the Champions League semis, will be the man to watch in Herve Renard’s team. Ivory Coast fans, on the other hand, have faith in the Premier League ace Wilfried Zaha, who is likely to prove a handful for the opposition defenders at the forthcoming tournament in Egypt.

    Past Africa Cup of Nations Winners:

    2019 Africa Cup of Nations Winner Odds:

    Factors to Consider Before Betting on the Africa Cup of Nations

    When placing bets on Africa Cup of Nations, you should not underestimate the underdogs. African sides mostly rely on their defence at the tournament, therefore, one goal often separates the two teams. African sides do not have as many superstars as European sides, meaning that you should check out teams news before putting your money on the Africa Cup of Nations games. Tired legs could prove to be a big problem for star footballers who play in top European leagues, which is yet another reason why you should avoid betting on title-chasing teams. The majority of teams at the Africa Cup of Nations look solid at the back and it is no surprise that fans rarely see high-scoring affairs at the tournament.

    Type of Bets Available During the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations

    Considering that the Africa Cup of Nations pits together a number of world-class players, the tournament is likely to receive notable attention from both bookies and bettors. Gamblers will have a plenty of markets to bet on during the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, but we strongly recommend you to conduct an in-depth research which includes team news, H2H record and current form before putting your money on a certain bet. Read on to check out the type of bets that the majority of online bookmakers will offer during the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

    Outright Betting

    Patient gamblers enjoy putting their money on outright bets. Bookmakers offer great odds for this type of bets and the good thing is that you can earn money even if your favourite suffers a defeat on the road to the trophy. As previously mentioned, title-chasing teams often lose points in the group stages, but eventually one of them goes all the way at the tournament. Therefore, betting on favourites to win the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations could prove fruitful.

    Match Betting

    Match betting refers to backing certain team to win a single game during the tournament. When it comes to betting on football punters are offered three options (home win, draw and away win), meaning that they have 33% chance of winning (if odds are even). On the other hand, in tennis or volleyball, customers are offered just two options (home and away win). Anyhow, given the information provided above, we recommend you to avoid match betting when it comes to Africa Cup of Nations games.

    Over/Under betting

    Over/under betting is a very good option as teams often aim to avoid defeat in both group and knockout stages of the Africa Cup of Nations. This is especially the case with first group games where the teams’ main goal is to grab something from their opener and keep their hopes of advancing to the last 16 alive. High-scoring games at major tournaments are rarity; therefore, we believe that betting on under 2.5 goals market could be a very good option.

    In Play Betting

    Nowadays, some punters, especially the younger ones, have become a bit impatient. As a result, every major bookie offers in-play betting to their customers. If you are a football expert, we strongly recommend you to wait for the game to begin before placing your bets. In the first 15 minutes the outcome of the match could often be indicated. Anyhow, you will have a better picture of the situation if you watch the game live.