Verdict: Total goals under 2.5
Best odds: 19/40
Bookmaker: Bet365
Madagascar take on DR Congo in the round of 16 of this year’s edition of the African Cup of Nations.
Madagascar
Madagascar finished top of group B as one of the surprises of the tournament, with seven points to their name out of the possible nine. They drew their opening game 2-2 with Guinea, before winning 1-0 against Burundi and 2-0 against Nigeria. Their form seems to be improving, and they won’t be a pushover for anyone.
Team News
Coach Nicolas Dupuis will be without midfielder Marco Ilaimaharitra, who is suspended for picking up two yellow cards in the group stage and whose absence is likely to be noticed.
DR Congo
Congo, on the other hand, lost their first two games at the hands of Uganda and Egypt (both 0-2), but the emphatic 4-0 win over Zimbabwe that followed enabled them to go through as one of the best third-placed teams. They will look to draw inspiration and confidence from that game, knowing that they truly can perform well when it matters most.
Team News
Congo have no issues with player unavailability, which leaves coach Florent Ibenge with a full squad to choose from.
Conclusion
It’s never easy to call a game like this, between two teams who aren’t among the world’s best known but are certainly full of determination. Recent history is on Congo’s side – they won three of their last five meetings and drew one. That, however, won’t mean a thing for this particular game, just as the fact that Madagascar had a better group stage won’t mean anything either.
It is, perhaps, to be expected that the two teams will enter the contest with caution, and if there are no early goals, it is perhaps likely to finish with a total of two or less.
Verdict: Total goals under 2.5
Best odds: 19/40
Bookmaker: Bet365
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