With the 5 highest rated groups from the continued Africa Cup of Nations, bookmakers have recognized Nigeria as the brand new favorites to win the title on February 11.
Earlier than the competitors began, 2022 FIFA World Cup semi-finalists Morocco and defending champions Senegal have been the clear favorites for the crown, with Egypt, Tunisia, Ivory Coast and Nigeria the opposite anticipated title contenders in that order.
However the second spherical has upset the specialists' predictions, with Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Ghana, Cameroon and Tunisia unexpectedly pushed out of the competitors early.
In a league plagued by the carcasses of African soccer giants, international locations comparable to Angola, Cape Verde, South Africa, Guinea, Mali and DR Congo have emerged as potential champions in a event identified for the 'reign of the underdogs'.
Even host Ivory Coast, who was nearly down and out after the primary spherical, is now tipped by the bookmakers to go all out.
Main bookmakers, Hollywoodbets, have named Nigeria as the brand new favorites for the title at 37/20, adopted by Ivory Coast at 3/1. Mali (1/6) and DR Congo (1/1) comply with, with the conqueror of Morocco, South Africa, as potential champions at 1/1.
Additionally predicting Nigeria to win the 2023 AFCON, Opta supercomputer mentioned the Tremendous Eagles have a 28.8 p.c probability of profitable the championship. Mali with 14.7 p.c and Ivory Coast with 13.5 p.c are the highest three favourite international locations to win the event.
With 9.4 p.c, DR Congo ranks fourth amongst favorites to win the title, whereas Cape Verde and South Africa have 8.8 p.c and eight.7 p.c probabilities respectively, adopted by Angola (8.3) and Guinea (7,8) in that order.
South Africa's Dean Furman, a retired sufferer of the Tremendous Eagles' firepower, agrees with the bookmakers and ideas Nigeria to go all out.
Nigeria might probably meet South Africa in a mouth-watering semi-final on the Stade de la Paix, Bouaké, as the 2 international locations tackle darkish horses Angola and Cape Verde within the quarter-finals.
Furman mentioned Nigeria has a method of profitable the massive video games, including that the present crew additionally has large gamers.
“The so-called nice nations, the imaginary nation of Nigeria, are doing their job in a subdued method, however I feel they’re doing it very nicely, so I might think about them favorites in the meanwhile.”
Talking about South Africa's quarter-final with Cape Verde on Saturday, Furman mentioned: “I don't wish to communicate too early as a result of Cape Verde, we performed them twice in 2017 within the World Cup qualifiers, we misplaced to them twice.
“Within the 2013 AFCON opening match on the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, everybody anticipated us to win. It was a draw and if I'm sincere we must always have misplaced that sport so I don't take them flippantly in any respect. It is going to be a really, very powerful match, nevertheless it belongs to everybody.”
Whereas everybody appears to be rooting for Nigeria, ex-Angola worldwide centre-back Kali has a special opinion. He has predicted that the Palancas Negras will beat the Tremendous Eagles within the quarter-final on the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium, Abidjan.
With two of the event favorites, Senegal and Morocco, eradicated from the competitors, the remaining eight international locations consider they’ve a very good probability of profitable the Africa Cup of Nations.
Kali has confronted Nigeria thrice in his enjoying days with out tasting defeat, profitable as soon as and drawing two video games, and now he believes there could possibly be an enormous upset on the Palancas Negras on Friday night.
Kali mentioned: “Angola might be very nicely ready for Nigeria. I feel that is an important match between the 2 groups. We’ve a greater probability of shifting ahead.”
