Predictions and Betting Picks for the Africa Cup of Nations Quarter-Finals – January 29-30, 2022

The Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals get underway this Saturday, January 29. With two games on Saturday and a further two on Sunday, there is no shortage of AFCON betting opportunities this weekend.

With heavy hitters like Algeria, Ivory Coast, and Nigeria already out of the competition, Senegal, Cameroon, and Morocco are the bookmakers’ favorites to lift the trophy.

Senegal and Cameroon have favorable matchups with the Gambia and Equatorial Guinea, respectively, but the Moroccans must get past seven-time champion Egypt before they can start dreaming of their first AFCON title since 1976.

In this post, I give my predictions for the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals before sharing my top AFCON quarter-final picks. If that sounds good to you, then let’s get started.

Cameroon heads into the quarter-finals on an eight-game unbeaten streak, having claimed seven wins and a draw since their last loss. The hosts took seven points from a possible nine during the group stage before seeing off Comoros in the round of 16.

Meanwhile, Gambia has surprised a lot of people. In addition to a draw with Mali, the Scorpions beat Mauritania and Tunisia in the group stage. Thanks to a 1-0 victory over Guinea in the previous round, they have kept three clean sheets in four matches.

That said, they will struggle to prevent Aboubakar and co. from scoring on Saturday. With the Douala fans cheering them on, I expect the hosts to advance to the semi-finals.

The Tunisians can count themselves pretty fortunate to be in the last eight, having lost two of their three group games. Granted, they thrashed Mauritania 4-0. But they also lost to Mali and Gambia without scoring.

Mondher Kebaier’s men flexed their muscles in the round of 16, though, knocking Nigeria out of the competition. They will now be confident of dispatching Burkina Faso.

The Stallions booked their sport in the quarter-finals with a penalty-shootout victory over Gabon. Aston Villa forward Bertrand Traore gave Burkina Faso the lead midway through the second half, but Adama Guira’s stoppage-time own goal sent the game into extra-time.

Just like Burkina Faso, Egypt progressed from the round of 16 via a penalty shootout. The Pharaohs edged out Ivory Coast on Wednesday, with Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah bagging the winning spot-kick.

The Egyptians won three straight AFCON titles between 2006 and 2010 but have failed to make an impact on the tournament since then. That will give Morocco plenty of confidence.

By contrast, the Atlas Lions have scored two goals in each of their past three games. After beating Ghana 1-0, they cruised past Comoros before drawing with Gabon. In the round of 16, they defeated Malawi thanks to a magical free-kick from PSG ace Achraf Hakimi.

I’m backing the Moroccans to get the better of Egypt on Sunday. While the Pharaohs have fumbled their way through the competition, the Atlas Lions have made light work of their opponents.

Priced at 3.25, Senegal is the bookies’ favorite to lift the trophy. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Equatorial Guinea (51.00) is the rank outsider. That tells you everything you need to know about this matchup.

Although the Lions of Teranga have yet to unleash their full potential, they have cruised into the quarter-finals without conceding a single goal. Liverpool forward Sadio Mane has netted a couple of tasty strikes, too.

Having already beaten the reigning champion, Algeria, Juan Micha’s men will fancy their chances of upsetting the odds again on Sunday. However, I can’t see them getting past Senegal.

Ultimately, Senegal’s squad is teeming with top players. Alongside Mane, stars like Edouard Mendy (Chelsea), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), and Idrissa Gueye (PSG) shouldn’t struggle to outshine the tournament’s minnows.

The first of my Africa Cup of Nations betting picks concerns Vincent Aboubakar. Since the lethal striker has scored six goals in four games at AFCON 2021, backing him to add to his tally against the Gambia makes perfect sense.

I’m confident that Tunisia will get the better of Burkina Faso. The Stallions were pushed all the way by Gabon in the previous round, while the Tunisians knocked out three-time champion Nigeria.

You can get odds of 1.40 for Senegal to beat Equatorial Guinea. If you’re looking for better value, however, I recommend opting for the under 2.5 goals market. The Lions of Teranga have yet to concede a goal at AFCON 2021, scoring just three in reply.

Check out our Africa Cup of Nations betting guide for more tips.