Africa Cup of Nations

Senegal were our pre-tournament selection for Africa Cup of Nations glory and we see no reason to desert them against surprise quarter-finalists Benin. The Lions of Teranga have Liverpool star Sadio Mane in fine form and are the tournament's highest-rated team, according to the FIFA rankings. More...

South Africa caused a major upset when knocking hosts Egypt out of the Africa Cup of Nations and can now push Nigeria all the way in the quarter-finals. Bafana Bafana are unbeaten in their last five encounters with the Super Eagles, notably taking four points off them in qualifying for this tournament. More...

Madagascar and Tunisia both qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals via penalty shoot-outs and another long night could be on the cards when they meet. The Eagles of Carthage have the pedigree to be regarded as clear favourites, but they are yet to win a match during this tournament. More...

Algeria lost to Ivory Coast in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals but are playing well enough to gain revenge at the same stage this year. The Desert Foxes have arguably been the most impressive team in Egypt so far, rattling off four straight wins, with nine goals scored and none conceded. More...

Ghana were more impressive than Tunisia during the Africa Cup of Nations pool stage and are tipped to shade a tight tussle in the first knockout round. Kwesi Appiah's side go about their business in a cool, calm and collected manner, which may prove enough to edge out a more volatile outfit. More...

Mali and Ivory Coast both did well in the Africa Cup of Nations group stage and are also hard to split on head-to-head encounters in recent years. Two of the last three meetings between the Eagles and Les Elephants have ended in stalemate, with the most recent being an October 2017 World Cup qualifier. More...

Algeria were amongst the most impressive teams during the Africa Cup of Nations pool stage and are hard to oppose when taking on Guinea in the last 16. Manchester City star Riyad Mahrez is the headline name in a formidable forward line, while a less-heralded defence has looked solid so far. More...

DR Congo came good in their final group game at the Africa Cup of Nations and are fancied to kick on by beating surprise package Madagascar. The Leopards, who finished third in 2015 and reached the quarter-finals two years ago, still have a talented team, with plenty of attacking options. More...

Egypt look worthy 3/1 favourites to claim an eighth Africa Cup of Nations title and are tipped to brush aside South Africa at the last-16 stage. The hosts were rock-solid in securing three straight pool wins, whereas Bafana Bafana have already been beaten by both Ivory Coast and Morocco at this tournament. More...

Nigeria flopped versus Madagascar but are given another chance to show their true worth against holders Cameroon at the Africa Cup of Nations. The Super Eagles qualified for the World Cup ahead of the Indomitable Lions, beating them 4-1 at home, before performing with credit at Russia 2018. More...

Benin have lost their last three games against Morocco by an aggregate score of 13-2 but look much improved at this year's Africa Cup of Nations. The Squirrels were unbeaten during the pool stage, drawing with perennial powerhouses Ghana and Cameroon, so this is not a team to take lightly. More...

Senegal were our pre-tournament pick for Africa Cup of Nations glory and are expected to prove too strong for a game, but outgunned Uganda side at the last-16 stage. The Lions of Teranga are seeking to lift this trophy for the first time and have Liverpool star Sadio Mane in good form. More...

Ghana have work to do to reach the Africa Cup of Nations knockout stage but should get back on track by beating Guinea-Bissau. The Black Stars have made the semi-finals for six straight renewals of this tournament, but started out this time with a couple of draws to put pressure on themselves. More...

Cameroon have made a convincing start to the defence of their Africa Cup of Nations crown and now only need a draw against Benin to top Group F. The Indomitable Lions roared to a win over Guinea-Bissau before sharing the spoils with Ghana, while the Squirrels have had two stalemates so far. More...

Tunisia are making hard work of qualifying from Africa Cup of Nations Group E but can get there in the end by edging out Mauritania in the final round of fixtures. The Eagles of Carthage are the second-highest ranked team in the tournament, being 78 places higher than their opponents in the FIFA ratings. More...

Ivory Coast are still in good shape to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations knockout stage and should brush aside Namibia without too much fuss. Les Elephants lost to Morocco but had previously edged out South Africa, whereas the Brave Warriors are bottom of the Group D table following two defeats. More...

South Africa and Morocco would both probably be content with a draw when they meet in the final round of Africa Cup of Nations Group D fixtures. That result would guarantee top spot for the Atlas Lions and almost certainly see Bafana Bafana also advance into the knockout rounds. More...

Algeria will be keen to maintain their early momentum at the Africa Cup of Nations when taking on Group C basement dwellers Tanzania. The Desert Foxes are sitting pretty at the top of the table following wins over Kenya and Senegal and can now make a statement of intent against the Taifa Stars. More...

Senegal only need a draw against Kenya to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations knockout rounds but should be good enough to claim victory in Cairo. Both teams have registered a win and a stalemate so far in Group C, but the Lions of Teranga are rated 83 places higher in the FIFA rankings. More...

Madagascar have exceeded all expectations at the Africa Cup of Nations, but could get a reality check when facing Group B table toppers Nigeria in Alexandria. The Super Eagles have already posted two straight victories in this pool and are rated a vastly superior side, being 63 spots further up the FIFA rankings. More...

Egypt have looked rock-solid as Africa Cup of Nations hosts by starting out with two straight victories and are hard to oppose against Uganda in Cairo. The Cranes are also on course to progress from Group A after beating DR Congo and drawing with Zimbabwe, but this is a big step up in class. More...

Cameroon upset Ghana in the semi-finals en route to 2017 Africa Cup of Nations glory and can again come out on top in this year's Group F meeting. The Indomitable Lions will be full of confidence after beating Guinea-Bissau, whereas the Black Stars are under a bit of pressure following a draw with Benin. More...

Tunisia and Mali are among the better teams competing in this year's Africa Cup of Nations and a close encounter is on the cards when they meet in Suez. The Eagles of Carthage have the greater pedigree and were far from disgraced at last year's World Cup, but Les Aigles are an emerging force. More...

Morocco were a touch fortunate to scrape past Namibia in their Africa Cup of Nations opener but are worth sticking with when they take on Ivory Coast. The Atlas Lions beat Les Elephants 2-0 when they last met in a World Cup qualifier and should again enjoy facing opponents who come out more. More...

Kenya and Tanzania both began the Africa Cup of Nations with predictable defeats, but we felt the first-named team showed far more encouraging signs. The Harambee Stars were more of a threat after the interval versus Algeria, whereas the Taifa Stars were pretty negative throughout against Senegal. More...

Africa Cup of Nations hosts Egypt were more superior than a 1-0 scoreline suggests when beating Zimbabwe and can follow up by brushing aside DR Congo. The Leopards opened with a very disappointing 2-0 loss to Uganda and now must come up against the favourites in front of a hostile Cairo crowd. More...

Nigeria were a touch underwhelming when edging out Burundi in their Africa Cup of Nations opener but will hopefully improve for that victory when taking on Guinea. Their opponents could only earn a share of the spoils versus Madagascar first up and looked nervous at times during that 2-2 stalemate. More...

Ghana will be determined to improve on a series of Africa Cup of Nations near-misses and can start out by beating Benin in Group F. The Black Stars last lifted this trophy in 1982, but have reached two finals and four other semis in the past six renewals, so few would begrudge them an outright triumph. More...

Cameroon were crowned Africa Cup of Nations champions for the fifth time two years ago and can begin the defence of their trophy by edging out Guinea-Bissau. The Indomitable Lions beat the same opponents 2-1 during the group stage in Gabon and can shade another entertaining encounter. More...

Lauren twice won the Africa Cup of Nations with Cameroon and was a two-time Premier League winner during a successful spell at Arsenal. In a bwin exclusive Lauren interview, the former defender shares his thoughts on the Africa Cup of Nations and the Gunners. More...