Preview of the AFCON Tournament – Key betting favourites

The biennial AFCON tournament is one of Africa’s premier football competitions. Algeria clinched the championship in 2019 against Senegal, while the 2021 title went to Senegal following their victory over Egypt. With many of their key players hailing from the English Premier League, they’re definitely a team to keep an eye on for future tournaments. Let’s delve deeper into the tournament’s structure, recent odds, and the historical backdrop that has shaped this prestigious event.

Understanding the Tournament Structure

Featuring 24 teams in its final stage, AFCON offers a thrilling competition structure. While Ivory Coast, this year’s hosts, secured their spot automatically, 12 other groups battled it out in the qualifiers. Notably, the Ivory Coast’s odds for 2023 are seemingly moderate, hinting at potential surprises as the competition unfolds.

In the main event, six groups, each comprising four nations, compete fiercely. Every nation faces its group opponents once. From these, the top two teams from each group, along with the four best third-placed teams, advance to the round of 16. Should teams end up with identical points in group stages, a set criterion, from head-to-head match points to overall goals scored, determines who advances.

A Glimpse into AFCON’s Rich History

Dating back 64 years, the inaugural AFCON took place in 1957 in Sudan. The tournament quickly established itself as the zenith of men’s football in Africa. Egypt, the first champions, has since added six more titles to its tally, making them the tournament’s most decorated team.

In order to avoid a scheduling conflict with the World Cup, the AFCON was moved to odd-numbered years starting 2013. Ivory Coast, the 2023 host, is welcoming the event for the second time in its history. Senegal is the defending champion, having won the title most recently.

With Egypt leading the championship tally with seven titles, Cameroon closely follows with five victories. Their stellar performances over the years have added to the tournament’s allure.

Recent champions include:

• 2021: Senegal (Runners-up: Egypt)
• 2019: Algeria (Runners-up: Senegal)
• 2017: Cameroon (Runners-up: Egypt)
• 2015: Ivory Coast (Runners-up: Ghana)

2013: Nigeria (Runners-up: Burkina Faso)

AFCON 2023/2024 Qualifying Statistics Overview

The 2023/2024 AFCON qualifiers have shown an uptick in the average goals per game compared to the previous tournament. Specifically, matches during this year’s qualifiers have seen an average of 2.15 goals, a noticeable increase from the 1.96 average of the 2021/2022 tournament, the odds listed with bestnongamstopcasinos.net for total tournament goals has changed dramatically. Among the 88 qualifying matches played thus far, the 1-0 scoreline emerged as the predominant result, being recorded in 19 encounters. The 2-0 scoreline wasn’t far behind, being the outcome in 13 matches.

Given the average of 2.15 goals per match, it’s predictable that a significant 62.5% of these games ended with fewer than 2.5 goals. This statistic underscores why the under 2.5 goals bet remains a favourite among AFCON enthusiasts.

In terms of both teams finding the net, it’s been a bit of a mixed bag, with both sides scoring in 54.6% of games. Out of these 88 clashes, only 20 concluded in a stalemate, and a mere four of those were without any goals. As we progress and the top 24 teams move to the primary competition stage, it’s anticipated that the percentage of matches where both teams score will rise, given the more evenly matched nature of the fixtures.

Europe and Africa have seen a huge igaming change with huge increased betting revenues especially on events like the African cup of nations, with operators offering multiple different markets punters will look to use these stats to their advantage when making bets.

Predictions

As the 2023/2024 African Cup of Nations unfolds, all signs point to Senegal emerging as the champions. Building upon their triumphant campaign in the 2021 edition, Senegal possesses a squad rich in talent and experience, blending youth with seasoned players who have proven their mettle in top European leagues. Their recent performances, both in qualifiers and friendly matches, have showcased their cohesion as a team, adept defensive structures, and a lethal attack. With world-class talents like Sadio Mané leading the front, combined with a solid midfield and defensive line, Senegal’s balance and depth make them formidable opponents. Taking all these factors into account, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Senegal lift the AFCON trophy once again at the conclusion of the 2023/2024 tournament.