The second set of fixtures at the Africa Cup of Nations begins on Thursday when Group A is back on the schedule over the course of the day. This is often the defining round of games in the first stage and this group is interestingly poised.
It means we will see the host nation Cameroon on show for the second time in the tournament. They can secure their spot in the knockout stage but the other main seed in the group, Burkina Faso, have work to do.
Where to watch
Both matches will be shown live and in full on the Sky Sports Premier League channel while the first game can also be viewed on the Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Football channels.
Cameroon vs Ethiopia (16.00)
The first game of the day could see a fair bit in this group wrapped up. Cameroon host Ethiopia knowing that if they win this match they will be through to the last 16 with a match to spare and will win the group if Burkina Faso avoid defeat later in the day. Ethiopia need something from this game to keep progression in their control.
It is hard to assess Ethiopia on those opening matches because they were reduced to 10 men inside the opening 15 minutes against Cape Verde but they were the weaker nation in the section going into the competition and were always going to be up against it against a side as powerful as Cameroon. To be fair, Cameroon weren’t overly convincing in beating Burkina Faso but they did win and that gives them a platform to build from and the confidence to improve and look to dominate the competition. If there is one thing we’ve seen in this tournament so far it is not to rely on goals which makes backing a big handicap a struggle. I’m not sure I want to rely on Ethiopia to keep this close so I can leave this one alone.
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Cape Verde vs Burkina Faso (19.00)
The later game in the group might well be the more interesting one. It sees the two middle ranked sides in the group battling it out when Cape Verde take on Burkina Faso in a match where the latter are under pressure to get something out of the game.
It could be said that tournament begins here for Burkina Faso after they faced the toughest challenge in the group in Cameroon in the first game. They looked to have the match under control when they took an early lead but then shot themselves in the foot twice to concede penalties which sent them to defeat. That means they need something from this game to avoid only having third place to play for. Cape Verde are in a much better position after they beat Ethiopia in the first game. I thought they looked a decent side in that match but their opponents were down to 10 men after 12 minutes. That said, Cape Verde started well and should have won by a lot more than the 1-0 they won by. They now only need a point from their last two encounters to guarantee a place in the next stage and you would think they would target that here, whether by playing for a draw or going after Burkina Faso and getting a result. I didn’t think Burkina Faso looked great at the back against Cameroon so Cape Verde should get chances in this one. If they can keep things controlled themselves then they should be able to avoid defeat.
Tips
Back Cape Verde (+0.25AH) to beat Burkina Faso for a 3/10 stake at 1.79 with BetVictor
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