2021 Africa Cup of Nations (January 9 – February 6) Betting Tips & Predictions

But most of all, it offers excellent betting opportunities, some of which we will cover in our preview, where we go over the Africa Cup of Nations 2021 odds and pick out the best wagers.

AFCON History

The African Cup of Nations, also known as AFCON, is Africa’s main international men’s football tournament. It was first held in 1957, and since 1968, it has been scheduled every 2 years.

The tournament features Africa’s top football nations who compete for the coveted title and a ticket for the FIFA Confederations Cup, one of the largest international football tournaments behind the FIFA World Cup.

The AFCON has been held across 21 African countries throughout its history, and it has featured 14 different champions. Most notably, Egypt won it 3 times between 2006 – 2010 but not once since, with the next 5 iterations featuring 5 different champions.

The 2021 AFCON was initially planned to take place in June and July 2021. But, unfortunately, it had to be postponed to January-February 2022 due to unfavourable climatic conditions while retaining the name 2021 Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship reasons.

AFCON Odds 2021 – Bookies’ Favourites

The betting odds for the Africa Cup of Nations 2021 are out, and from the looks of it, the football online bookmakers have a hard time distinguishing which nation should be considered as the favourite. Still, there’s a clear divide between the top teams and the outsiders.

Senegal (5/1)

The 2019 AFCON finalists, Senegal, lead the 2021 Africa Cup of nations betting odds as the main favourite to win the African Nations Cup, priced as low as 5/1 on most online sports betting sites. And that isn’t too surprising, considering that the Lions of Teranga are always a threat to claim the title.

Interestingly, Senegal is one of the 7 nations that have yet to win the AFCON title, but they have reached the finals twice – in 2012 and 2019. Besides that, Senegal also placed 4th in 1994, 2002, and 2004, totalling 6 top-4 placements.

Moreover, Senegal is ranked 20th globally, the highest of any other nation attending the event. With players such as Sadio Mané, Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy, Ismaïla Sarr, and Gana Gueye, Senegal have the tools to lift their first trophy.

Algeria (6/1)

Priced slightly below Senegal are the defending AFCON champions, Algeria, who edged out a 1-0 victory in the 2019 AFCON finals to claim their second title and the first since 1990. Even though it has been over 2 years since Algeria last stood atop Africa, the question remains: Can the Greens retain the title?

They are one of the favourites, but Algeria will face stiff opposition in Senegal and Egypt.

Egypt (13/2)

Egypt is the most successful African nation in AFCON, with 7 titles, 2 runner-up finishes, 3 bronze medals, and 3 4th-place finishes. And with such an impressive resume, Egypt should never be overlooked.

Admittedly, the Pharaohs haven’t been too successful of late, with only one medal (silver in 2017) since they last won the AFCON in 2010. But it’s hard to write them off entirely with a superstar player such as Mohamed Salah leading the line.

Past Winners of the Competition

Since the inaugural, 14 nations have won the AFCON title and reached at least the finals. The only exception is Equatorial Guinea, whose best placement was a 4th-place finish in 2015.

While Egypt remains the most decorated nation, the last 5 iterations of AFCON featured a diverse list of champions, with Ivory Coast betting odds being one of the highest those times.

• 2013 – Zambia
• 2013 – Nigeria
• 2015 – Ivory Coast
• 2017 – Cameroon
• 2019 – Algeria

Date and Place of the Event

The 2021 AFCON is set in Cameroon on January 9 – February 6, 2022, across 6 venues and 5 cities. It will mark the first time since 1972 that AFCON will return to the west-central African country.

Due to the expansion of the Africa Cup of Nations from 16 to 24 teams, at least 6 venues will be used for this year’s AFCON, spread across 5 of Cameroon’s cities.

The list of venues includes:

1. Japoma Stadium (Douala)
2. Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo (Yaoundé)
3. Olembe Stadium (Yaoundé)
4. Roumdé Adjia Stadium (Garoua)
5. Kouekong Stadium (Bafoussam)
6. Limbe Stadium (Limbe)

Both the tournament’s opening match and the final will occur at the newly-built, 60,000-seater Olembe Stadium in Cameroon’s capital.

As one of the largest international football tournaments, you can expect the African Nations Cup to be televised on most sports TV channels. And it won’t be hard to find a live stream of the tournament on any major streaming platform.

AFCON 2021 Predictions

With so much talent attending the 2021 AFCON, it’s tough to settle on only one prediction, which is why we have put together 3 2021 Africa Cup of Nations betting tips, all of which offer excellent value.

Senegal to Win (5/1)

As the highest-rated African team, Senegal is the most likely champion of the 2021 AFCON. Although many teams could cause Lions of Teranga problems, Senegal’s raw firepower makes it scary to bet against them.

As a reminder, Sadio Mané, Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy, Ismaïla Sarr, and Gana Gueye are all in Senegal’s lineup, forming the most stacked roster of the AFCON. Raw talent doesn’t always guarantee success, but at the offered AFCON 2021 betting odds, Senegal is hard to pass as our main AFCON winner prediction.

Cameroon to Reach the Final (4/1)

Cameroon has 5 AFCON titles to their names, and while the Indomitable Lions are always a threat, they couldn’t deliver last time out.

In 2019, Cameroon made it out of the groups fairly easily and looked like a serious candidate to claim their 6th title. But things turned sour in the first round of the qualifiers, where Cameroon was no match for Nigeria.

Cameroon might not be one of the strongest teams in the tournament, according to most Cameroonian bookmakers, but they have the tools to cause an upset. And since the 2021 AFCON will take place on their home soil, it’s fair to view Cameroon as a contender.

Nigeria to Win (9/1)

Without a longshot pick, no betting preview is complete, so we have to side with Nigeria to round up our 2021 AFCON expert picks. Priced at 9/1 on most betting sites, the Super Eagles seem a bit underestimated.

The 3-time AFCON champions made it to the semis in 2019 and were exceptional in the qualifiers, finishing without dropping a single match. Still, you could question how good Nigeria will fare in Cameroon after the Nigeria Football Federation sacked coach Gernot Rohr and replaced him with Augustine Eguavoen.

The off-field drama surely hasn’t helped the team’s preparations, but this is still a powerful squad with exceptional players in Victor Osimhen, Alex Iwobi, and Wilfred Ndidi.

AFCON 2021 Final Prediction – Outsider Pick

Ghana is priced with bookmakers as high as 12/1 to win the 2021 AFCON and might be an interesting pick for those looking for a higher payout. The Black Stars are not to be underestimated as a team that has reached 6 straight semifinals between 2008 – 2017 and 2 finals in 2010 and 2015.

Admittedly, Ghana isn’t as strong as a couple of decades ago, but this is still an African football giant capable of causing serious damage.