With the 2022 AFCON Round of 16 matches already done, the quarterfinal slots have filled up. The single-elimination matches in the Round of 16 already provided an upset for several teams, with Nigeria kicked off the competition by Tunisia. Comoros also made history by securing their first AFCON win and kicking out West African giants, Ghana from the competition.
The defending champions, Algeria also got eliminated from the competition in the group stage, meaning that this year’s campaign will welcome a new champion. Several heavy-weights will also miss the quarterfinals, as Ivory Coast was eliminated by Egypt in the Round of 16.
Ivory Coast was among the tournament’s best teams to the Round of 16, as this West African country was extra motivated to prove their skills despite their early elimination from the 2022 World Cup qualifiers. However, Egypt took away the chance from Ivory Coast through penalty shootouts, joining Gambia, Cameroon, Tunisia, Burkina Faso, Morocco, and Senegal in the quarterfinals.
Here is the quarterfinal schedule for the 2022 AFCON competition, standing for various teams and predictions for upcoming games covered by the Asian bookie Vwin.
Gambia vs. Cameroon – 29th January 2022 (11:00a.m ET)
Prediction: 0-2
A spot at the AFCON semi-finals will be at stake when the hosts Cameroon take on Gambia at the Japoma Stadium. The tournament hosts had no difficulties securing a 2-1 win against Comoros, but they’ll have a bigger fish to fry when going head-to-head with Gambia. At the moment, former Porto striker Vincent Aboubakar seems unstoppable and he’s likely to be a huge headache for the opposition’s backline.
The Scorpions booked a meeting with Cameroon after beating Guinea during the last Round of 16 and the team will be high in spirits walking into the Japoma Stadium. Yusupha Njie will miss this match following his suspension, although he’s not a first-team regular. All this considered, the Indomitable Lions seem to be in a better position to win the matchup considering their excellent performance throughout this year’s competition.
Burkina Faso vs. Tunisia – 29th January 2022 (2:00 p.m ET)
Prediction: 1-1
Burkina Faso will square off against Tunisia at the Stade Omnisport Roumde Adija on Saturday in what’s expected to be a close match. Burkina Faso booked a spot in their quarterfinals after winning against Gabon in penalties, although they have a difficult task on Saturday.
Aston Villa’s Bertrand Traore who helped the team triumph over Gabon will widely lead the team for Burkina Faso on Saturday. However, the Eagles of Carthage plan to build on the confidence gained from their hard-fought 1-0 triumph over the 10-man Nigerian team.
Tunisia proved they’re worth a shot in the finals following their incredible display in the last round of 16, and they’ll continue relying on their solid defense. However, Burkina Faso is looking solid on their backline as well and the match may reach stoppage time in a draw. As such, wagering on Under 2.5 goals seems to have a huge value.
Egypt vs. Morocco – 30th January 2022 (11:00 a.m ET)
Prediction: 1-1
After a hard 0-0 tough draw against Ivory Coast on Wednesday, Mo Salah recorded the winning penalty that booked a spot in the quarterfinals for Egypt. The Pharaohs have booked a quarterfinal game against Morocco on Sunday at the Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo. Egypt had a disappointing start after losing their opening game against Nigeria, but they remain strong contenders for the AFCONs finals game.
Morocco, on the other hand, has remained strong in the competition this year despite their inconsistencies in the quality of their final pass. Vahid Halilhodzic’s squad booked a spot in the quarterfinals after taking out Malawi (2-1) in the knockout stage. Malawi was clearly the underdog ahead of this game and Morocco proved quite strong for them despite Gabadinho Mhangos attempts to put them ahead.
Both Egypt and Morocco are strong teams for this matchup, but you shouldn’t expect many goals from the game. As such, there’s a significant value in wagering for under 2.5 and the game may end in penalty shootouts for the semi-finals spot.
Senegal vs. Equatorial Guinea – 30th January 2022 (2:00 p.m)
Prediction: 2-0
Following a goalless draw against Mali on Wednesday, Equatorial Guinea edged Mali on penalties to book a quarterfinal match against Senegal. Nzalang Nacional will be going for the AFCON quarterfinals for the third time, while Mali failed to replicate their performance in Cameroon half a century ago when they reached the 1972 AFCON finals.
Senegal booked their spot in this year’s quarterfinals after their 2-0 victory against Cape Verde on Tuesday. Unfortunately, while Senegal crashed the 9-man Cape Verde team, they suffered two injuries of Liverpool star Sadio Mande and Bamba Dieng. As such, the team might have a hard time going against Equatorial Guinea on Sunday, despite being the bookies’ favorite.
During the quarterfinal game, you should expect minimal goals from either side, but Senegal seems highly determined to advance to the semi-finals. You can bet on Senegal to win or wager on the Under 2.5 goals market.