The group stage of the Africa Cup of Nations concludes on Thursday when the final two groups to be completed conclude on a day which could be extremely significant for the tournament as a whole given the potential exits at stake.
The defending champions Algeria are the biggest name on show over the course of Thursday and they are in great peril. We will also see the likes of Ivory Coast, Tunisia and our pre-tournament pick all in action.
Where to watch
The matches will be shown live and in full across the Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Sports Football, Sky Sports Arena and the BBC Red Button and iPlayer channels.
Thursday’s fixtures are as follows: (UK kick off in brackets)
Ivory Coast vs Algeria (16.00)
Sierra Leone vs Equatorial Guinea (16.00)
Gambia vs Tunisia (19.00)
Mali vs Mauritania (19.00)
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Preview
The action begins in Group E where the heavyweight clash between the powerhouses Ivory Coast and Algeria headlines the action. This is a massive match in the tournament. Ivory Coast are definitely through but only a win for Algeria will see them continuing their title defence. The other match in the group is a straight knockout to qualify when Sierra Leone go up against Equatorial Guinea. The former need to win to go through but will qualify with a draw if Algeria don’t win. A point sends Sierra Leone through.
Once Group E has been concluded it will be time for the denouement of Group F and this is an interesting group because although Gambia and Mali have both qualified neither will want to finish third in the group. Gambia can secure a top two spot if they avoid defeat to Tunisia. A draw will see Tunisia through but they will only go through in third place in that situation. Mali will secure a top two finish with a draw against Mauritania but they’ll be looking for a whole lot more than that.
Betting
I’ll go with one bet over the course of the evening and that comes in the second of the two groups where I like Tunisia to get the better of Gambia. Gambia are in the stick of twist situation of going for a win or playing for a draw to secure a top two finish. They are through though which makes that decision a little easier. Tunisia know a draw will put them into the knockout stage but they won’t want to finish third and run into a Nigeria or Cameroon in the last 16.
That means Tunisia should be going out to win the game and based on their demolition of Mauritania in the previous game I expect the North Africans to come away with the win they need. That was probably the best performance of the competition. Whether that was fuelled by the controversy of their opener or not only they will know but it certainly bodes well for them. This is a powerful attacking side and Gambia have flatted to deceive a little so I like Tunisia in this one.
Tips
Back Tunisia to beat Gambia for a 3/10 stake at 2.20 with Bet365
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