The African Cup of Nations (AFCON) is the men’s international football competition in Africa – an event that began in 1957. Since its inception which had 3 participating teams (Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia), the CAF-organized tournament has expanded, now having 24 African Nations competing for the Prestigious title. Egypt, who won the inaugural edition, currently holds the record for the most titles won (7).
With the 2023 African Cup of Nations around the corner, it’s another time to witness who takes over from the 2021 Champions, Senegal. This edition was initially scheduled for June 2023 but had to be postponed over weather concerns. However, the event will now be held in January 2024 with Ivory Coast as the host nation.
Bettors who intend to make AFCON Predictions when the tournament commences need a guide to enable them to place smart bets – an area that this article will discuss.
Favourites to Win
With the qualifying round of the 2023 African Cup of Nations still ongoing, the various teams and fans have to wait to know their fate. Well, the host nation doesn’t have to wait as they already secured automatic qualification.
These teams who were drawn in 12 groups of four teams have completed their first and second round of matches. The third and fourth rounds are scheduled for March, the fifth round is scheduled for June and the sixth round is to occur in September 2023. After the completion of the qualifying rounds, 23 teams will join Ivory Coast for this event.
Now, the big question is, who are the favourites to emerge as the 2023 AFCON Champions? Our 2023 AFCON Predictions for the teams who are favourites to win are Morocco, Nigeria, and Senegal. Let’s briefly explain why they are the favourites.
🇲🇦 Morocco
For a nation who have only won AFCON once, this might be the moment they win their second since 1976. Morocco sits comfortably at the top of their qualifying Group K after two rounds and are paired alongside South Africa and Liberia. The fourth team, Zimbabwe, have already been disqualified due to a FIFA suspension. We expect them to make the 23 teams for the African Nations Cup in Ivory.
When this is done, the most important hurdle will be the tournament proper, there, they will determine their opponents and group. However, with the crop of players at the disposal of Coach Walid Regragui and their historic performance at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar where they finished fourth, the Atlas Lion could replicate this on African soil. Only time will tell.
🇳🇬 Nigeria
The Nigerian National Football team makes our list of AFCON Predictions for the favourites to win the 2023 edition. Paired in Group A alongside Guinea Bissau, Sierra Leone, and Sao Tome and Principe for their qualifying round matches, the Super Eagles have so far shown superiority.
Although they still have a couple of matches to go before confirming their position in the coming African tournament, they are among the favourites to claim the trophy by January 2024.
Crowned AFCON champions in 1980, 1994, and 2013, the Super Eagles are undoubtedly one of the biggest names in football and they know this competition so well. We expect them to improve from their poor outing in Cameroon where they couldn’t make it past the Round of 16.
With a new manager at the helm of affairs and the presence of quality players like Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, and Kelechi Ihenacho, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if they are crowned champions.
🇸🇳 Senegal
Defending a title is one of the toughest tasks for a team but if there’s one capable, then it’s the Senegalese team. Against all odds, they were crowned African champions in 2021- their first ever, they also finished second in the 2019 edition in Egypt.
In the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, they bowed out in the round of 16 without their star man Sadio Mane. So, it’s quite evident that the Lions of Teranga have been in a good situation in recent years. Getting set for another Nations Cup outing, their first test will be the qualifying round – a challenge we believe they are up to as they currently lead their group.
Afterwards, they will know their opponents in the AFCON 2023. This team has what it takes which is why they were included in our AFCON Predictions for the competition in Ivory. They have the experience and mentality and they also possess top players and a great manager. All eyes will be on them.
What Should You Avoid when Betting on AFCON?
When making your AFCON Predictions, your goal will be to place successful bets. However, there are particular behaviours that you must avoid to have long-term success. In the betting tips below, you will understand the need to avoid these behaviours.
Not Researching Your Bets
Refusing to do proper research before betting on the AFCON 2023 is a very costly thing to do. It’s preferable to forgo betting than stake money on a bet you’re not certain about, at least to a considerable extent.
A few of the things that good research will do is guide you, provide helpful details, and help you assess whether your wager will be rewarding. This way, you feel confident. So, ensure you refrain from putting money on unresearched wagers because doing so would result in consistent losses.
Loss Chasing
When making AFCON Predictions, you shouldn’t chase your loss i.e you don’t keep betting on matches to make up for lost funds. If you try chasing your loss, there’s a high chance that you’ll end up with more losses. A helpful piece of advice that could work in this scenario is by creating a financial plan that you can work with. This way you won’t spend more than your budget.
Only Chasing Low-Odds Bets
Players can wager on low odds, but it’s usually more valuable when your stake is high. However, you shouldn’t rely solely on it. Relying on low-odds bets could result in the loss of a huge stake if things go south. While trying to make up for it by placing another big stake, it could result in a bigger loss. So, to maximize your stakes, bettors must be flexible with their betting odds.
Where Can You Bet on the AFCON?
Various Tanzania betting platforms will make the tournament available to bettors who want to make their 2023 AFCON Predictions. Below is a table showing the AFCON 2023 betting websites.
Conclusion
No doubt, players will expect a thrilling and action-packed tournament when the AFCON begins in January 2024. While we anticipate the start of the competition, the qualifying rounds are available for bettors to place bets on.
However, it’s key to strategize when predicting these matches. Betting without a clear strategy would end up yielding an unpleasant result which is why we’ve highlighted a few helpful betting tips to aid your AFCON Predictions.
FAQs
To further understand our AFCON predictions guide, here are answers to some of the common questions.
Tanzania are currently participating in the qualifying rounds of the AFCON 2023. Their performance in the qualifier will determine if they will be in Ivory Coast for the tournament.
The next African Cup of Nations will take place in Ivory Coast in January 2024.
Morocco, Nigeria, and Senegal make up our list of favourites to emerge as the AFCON 2023 Champions.
