AFCON 2019: MATCHDAY 2 REVIEW & MATCHDAY 3 PREVIEW

01 July 2019, by: Leonard Solms

AFCON 2019: MATCHDAY 2 REVIEW & MATCHDAY 3 PREVIEW

Bafana Bafana are well-positioned to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations last 16, but they were not the only big winners at matchday 2 of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Many of the big guns went head to head, meaning that matchday 3 will see several mismatches between big teams and minnows. Now might be a good time to start looking at handicap bets in favour of the established sides, but there are also some underdogs who have caught the eye.

Group A – Egypt, Uganda, Zimbabwe & DR Congo

Results:

Egypt 2-0 DR Congo

Uganda 1-1 Zimbabwe

Matchday 2 review:

Mohamed Salah got off the mark for Egypt at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in their 2-0 win over DR Congo while Mahmoud ‘Trézéguet’ Hassan produced another standout performance. Zimbabwe impressed once more against Uganda with Khama Billiat in particular causing problems for the Cranes defence. However, Knowledge Musona’s horror miss proved costly for the Warriors and they had to settle for a point.

Matchday 3 preview:

Egypt and Uganda fight it out for top spot at 21:00 SAST on Sunday 30 June while Zimbabwe take on DR Congo at the same time. The Pharaohs are the only team with a guaranteed spot in the last 16 with Uganda well-placed to join them. Zimbabwe are currently the lowest ranked third-placed team and so victory is vital for the Warriors, who can still overtake the Cranes on goal difference.

Results:

Nigeria 1-0 Guinea

Madagascar 1-0 Burundi

Matchday 2 review:

The Super Eagles left it late once more and were far from convincing, but Kenneth Omeruo’s header sealed their place in the last 16. Madagascar, meanwhile, beat Burundi 1-0 thanks to Marco Ilaimaharitra’s winner to claim their first ever Africa Cup of Nations victory.

The final Group B matches kick off matchday 3 at 18:00 on Sunday with Nigeria looking to clinch a perfect nine points against Madagascar and strugglers Guinea and Burundi going head to head. The Super Eagles currently lead the group with six points while Madagascar have four, Guinea one and Burundi none.

Results:

Senegal 0-1 Algeria

Kenya 3-2 Tanzania

Matchday 2 review:

Star-studded Senegal were stunned by the fearless Desert Foxes with Mohamed Youcef Belaïli snatching the winner shortly after half-time. Meanwhile, Kenya came back from behind twice to see off Tanzania in a five-goal thriller thanks largely to Michael Olunga’s brace.

Senegal and Kenya have both sealed their top three places but a definite last 16 berth is on the line when they face off at 21:00 on Monday. Neither side stands any chance of unseating Algeria, who will face Tanzania at the same time. The Desert Foxes are the only team to have officially wrapped up top spot in their group.

BET: GROUP C WINNER

Results:

Morocco 1-0 Ivory Coast

South Africa 1-0 Namibia

Matchday 2 review:

Hervé Renard’s Atlas Lions roared loudest against his former team in the Group D clash of titans, claiming a well-deserved win thanks to Youssef En-Nesyri’s strike. Meanwhile, Bafana Bafana claimed an unspectacular but vital victory over the Brave Warriors thanks to Bongani Zungu’s header.

The perceived Group of Death has lived up to its epithet with four closely-fought matches, leaving plenty at stake for the final round of fixtures at 18:00 on Monday. South Africa are currently the tournament’s best third-placed team and can book their last 16 place against Morocco. The Atlas Lions need a point to seal top spot in Group D while Namibia will look to take something off Ivory Coast having come close against two heavily fancied opponents.

BET: GROUP D WINNER

Results:

Tunisia 1-1 Mali

Mauritania 0-0 Angola

Matchday 2 review:

Unnecessary errors cost Tunisia as they had to settle for a second successive draw while Mali cemented pole position. Wahbi Khazri cancelled out Diadie Samassékou’s opener, but there were no goals in the other Group E match as Angola missed a huge opportunity to pull rank.

Matchday 3 preview:

Mali can clinch first place with a win over Angola, but Palancas Negras showed against Tunisia that they can stand up to Africa’s big guns. The Carthage Eagles are still chasing their first win and will be desperate to spare their blushes against Minnows Mauritania. Both matches are set to kick-off at 21:00 on Tuesday with nobody assured of a place in the knockout rounds.

BET: GROUP E WINNER

Group F – Ghana, Cameroon, Benin & Guinea-Bissau

Results:

Cameroon 0-0 Ghana

Benin 0-0 Guinea-Bissau

Matchday 2 review:

Not a single goal was scored in matchday 2 by any Group F team, but there were plenty of talking points. Notably, for Absa Premiership fans, Maritzburg United’s Richard Ofori was rock solid for the Black Stars against the defending champions. Meanwhile, controversial former Mamelodi Sundowns man Toni Silva had to watch from the bench as his Guinea-Bissau held Benin to a stalemate.

Victory over Benin will secure top spot for the Indomitable Lions, but they have not been entirely convincing so far and need to be careful of the likes of Stephane Sessègnon and Steve Mounié. Guinea-Bissau are themselves capable of causing problems for a Ghana side still chasing their first win. Both games are set to kick-off at 18:00 on Tuesday and supporters of all four teams will hope to finally see the net bulge again with everybody still chasing a round of 16 spot.

BET: GROUP F WINNER

BET: AFCON WINNER 2019

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Leonard Solms

Leonard Solms is a sports journalist who features regularly on various local and international platforms including ESPN, New Frame, FARPost, Tagged Online and Careers Magazine, as well as this one. He enjoys the occasional bet and the most important tip he can give you is to bet within your means.