Senegal take on Guinea on Friday in their second group stage game of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations at the Bafoussam Omnisport Stadium.
Africa Cup of Nations – Group B
Friday 14 January
Stade Omnisports de Bafoussam
15:00
To Win
Senegal 15/20
Senegal 15/20
Draw 19/10
Guinea 42/10
Guinea 42/10
Senegal
Dreaming of their first continental title, Senegal will look to continue their winning start to the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations. The Lions of Teranga began their campaign in Group B with a 1-0 victory over Zimbabwe on Monday courtesy of Sadio Mane’s penalty.
Senegal have a stability brought by coach Aliou Cisse who’s been with the west African side since 2015, and during his tenure they have qualified for the 2018 World Cup in Russia and made last edition’s AFCON final where they lost narrowly to Algeria.
Since that defeat, Senegal have been in formidable form, having qualified for this year’s showpiece with an unbeaten record.
However, the Lions of Teranga will be without several players due to a Covid outbreak, including captain Kalidou Koulibaly of Napoli and Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, while Watford’s Ismaila Sarr is expected to miss with a knee problem.
Despite their problems, Senegal will still expect to overcome Guinea, with the west Africans still able to call on Liverpool superstar Mane, Crystal Palace’s Chiekhou Kouyate and Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Idrissa Gana Gueye.
Guinea
Also getting off to a winning start with a 1-0 win over Malawi, Guinea will be looking to upset the odds and claim a confidence-boosting victory against their more illustrious and experienced opponents. But the Syli Nationale (national elephants) will need to be at their absolute best if they’re to stand a chance with the top ranked team in the tournament.
Kaba Diawara has plenty of talent in his squad, including Liverpool’s Naby Keita, AS Roma’s Amadou Diawara and even one of the hottest properties in European football at the moment, RB Leipzig’s Ilaix Moriba.
Guinea will be looking to better their round of 16 exit in 2019. Like Senegal, the Syli Nationale have also been hit with a coronavirus crisis. Defenders Fode Camara and Ibrahima Sory Conte, defensive midfielder Mory Konate and forward Morgan Guilavogui have all tested positive for Covid-19.
Ranked 81st in the world and 15th in Africa, Guinea have made 13 appearances at the African Cup of nations since their debut in 1970. Their best performance at the continental showpiece came in 1976, where they finished as runners up.
The Guineans fared dismally in the recent 2022 World Cup qualifying, failing to win in six matches against Morocco, Guinea-Bissau and Sudan.
Prediction: Senegal Win (15/20)
Senegal are not only one of the best national teams in Africa, but they’re also one of the top 20 sides in the world. The Teranga Lions boast a plethora of quality players all over the field and will fancy themselves to get the better of Guinea. Despite missing some of their key players like Mendy and Koulibaly, I expect them to get the job done in relatively comfortable fashion come the end of the 90 minutes.
Written by Chad N