Friday night sees the AFCON 2023 quarter-finals get underway, and the Super Eagles of Nigeria are in the box seat.
It’s been a truly remarkable competition with shocks along the way, and the Round of 16 saw some giants of the African game bow out.
Tunisia and Algeria disappeared at the group stage and then, at the first knockout round, the 2022 finalists Senegal and Egypt both went out on penalties to the hosts Cote D’Ivoire and DR Congo.
Morocco and Cameroon both made an early exit too, which means the competition has been blown wide open, and that leaves Nigeria and Cote D’Ivoire with a huge opportunity.
The Super Eagles are the highest-ranked nation left in the competition, ranked 30th by FIFA, and they open up the quarters with a clash against Angola. Let’s take a look at the four ties and pick our SBOTOP semi-finalists.
Nigeria vs Angola
The tournament favourites meet the rank outsiders in the quarter finals opener on Friday evening when the Super Eagles, at 2.85 to win the tournament, take on Angola, who are priced at AFCON 2023 betting odds of 21.00.
Nigeria are the most successful nation left in the competition with three AFCON wins, the last time in 2013. But they won’t take the Angolans lightly after the Antelopes won Group D and then swept Namibia aside in the Round of 16, as Gelson Dala scored a brace.
21-year-old Cagliari star Zito Luvumbo is another player to watch, but the underdogs will have to play the game of their lives against a team which contains Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, Fulham’s Alex Iwobi, and Milan’s Samuel Chukwueze.
DR Congo vs Guinea
Twice AFCON champions DR Congo are priced at 10.00 to win the competition, and they are favourites to make it to the semi-finals when they meat Guinea, who are ranked at 13.00.
Captained by Marseille’s experienced centre-back Chancel Mbemba, DR Congo were the team which saw off 2022 finalists Egypt in the Round of 16 in a thrilling penalty shootout, but this is the toughest match to call in the quarter finals.
Guinea have shown ambition from the outset and their AFCON 2024 results have been impressive, picking up a draw against heavyweights Cameroon and then beating Equatorial Guinea in the Round of 16, thanks to a 98th-minute strike from Mohamed Bayo.
Werder Bremen’s Naby Keita skippers the squad and he came on as a substitute in the last game, and his combative skills might be useful against Congo.
Mali vs Ivory Coast
The host nation is back in action on Saturday when they take on a dangerous Mali side. Cote D’Ivoire won the tournament in 2015 and are second favourites at odds of 3.50 to repeat that feat in front of their own fans.
They squeezed through their Round of 16 match after holders Senegal had led from the fourth minute Franck Kessie equalised on 86 and then Cote D’Ivoire won the penalty shootout.
Captained by Nottingham Forest’s Serge Aurier and with Borussia Dortmund hitman Sebastien Haller up front, this is a team which can go all the way.
Mali are priced at 7.00 to win the tournament after they won Group E, with South Africa in second and Tunisia going out.
The Eagles captain is Real Sociedad’s Hamari Traore and they have plenty of attacking threat with Spurs’ Yves Bissouma and Monaco’s Mohammed Camara in their ranks.
They saw off Burkino Faso in the quarter-finals, but Mali will come up against a raucous support for the hosts when they arrive in Bouak.
Cape Verde vs South Africa
An 88th-minute goal from veteran striker Ryan Mendes saw Cape Verde through to the quarter-finals, and the Blue Sharks have already matched their best AFCON performance, a last eight appearance in 2013.
They have a realistic chance to go one step further on Saturday, but they will meet a team high on confidence after they beat highly fancied Morocco.
Achraf Hakimi missed a late penalty and South Africa ran out 2-0 winners, thanks to goals from Evidence Makgopa and Teboho Mokoena to take their place in the quarter-finals.
The Bafana Bafana are missing their star player as Burnley’s Lyle Foster was unable to travel to Africa after suffering serious mental health problems, but they showed a lot of fight against Morocco, and they will give Cape Verde a tough test.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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