Senegal vs. Gambia (Monday, 2.00pm)
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Senegal will begin their defence of the Africa Cup of Nations title this week when they square off against Gambia at Stade Charles Konan Banny de Yamoussoukro on Monday evening.
Group C looks like it could be one of the most competitive in the competition, featuring five-time champions Cameroon and the up-and-coming Guinea, who face off at this venue directly after the conclusion of this match.
We say: Senegal 2-0 Gambia
The defending champions come into the tournament in excellent form and are worthy favourites to defend their crown. They have not conceded a single goal in over 400 minutes of football, and we fancy they will manage to shut out their opponents in this one as well and claim their first win of the competition.
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Cameroon vs. Guinea (Monday, 5.00pm)
© Reuters
A tricky Group C in the Africa Cup of Nations will get underway this week, and Cameroon will be looking to make a positive start to the competition when they face Guinea in their opening match on Monday evening.
It would not be a huge surprise if we saw three sides from Group C qualify for the knockout stages as it features four very good teams, including Senegal and Gambia, who will square off earlier in the day.
We say: Cameroon 1-1 Guinea
This could easily end up being the best watch in the opening round of matches in their year's competition. Cameroon have a history of good performances in AFCON, while Guniea are one of the rising stars on the continent and have a red-hot striker in Guirassy at their disposal. There is very little to choose between these sides, and considering that the four best-finishing third-placed sides will also qualify, we feel these two will be fairly content to settle for a share of the spoils.
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Algeria vs. Angola (Monday, 8.00pm)
© Reuters
Algeria and Angola begin their quest for continental glory on Monday when they go head to head in Group D of the Africa Cup of Nations at the Stade de la Paix.
The North African powerhouse journey to Ivory Coast in search of a third AFCON title, while the Palancas Negras have their sights on reaching the knockout stages for the first time since 2010.
We say: Algeria 2-0 Angola
Having failed to win their three group-stage games in 2021, Algeria will be looking to fly out of the blocks and begin as they mean to go on in Ivory Coast. The Desert Warriors boast a significantly superior and more experienced squad, and while we expect Angola to put up a fight, we fancy them claiming all three points at the Stade de la Paix.
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Barney Corkhill
