Senegal V Tanzania
Sunday 23 June 2019 – 18:00 Kick-Off
International: Africa Cup of Nations
Pick: Senegal to WIN to Nil – 4/5 Bet365
Preview: Considered by many to be the most likely to lift the trophy on 19 July, Senegal begin their Africa Cup of Nations campaign against minnows Tanzania, with the capital Cairo the venue for what will be only the second meeting between these two countries. Senegal prevailed 1-0 the only other time they met, back in 2009.
Recent Trends
- Senegal are the highest ranked African nation, at number 22 in the FIFA Rankings, and qualified for this tournament as section winners: W5 D1 L0, GF12 GA2, accruing more points than any other nation (16 from a possible 18).
- Tanzania are ranked a lowly 131 and qualified from a feeble group as runners-up: W2 D2 L2, GF6 GA5.
- Favourites Senegal are currently on a six match winning run, scoring eight goals and conceding only one.
- Tanzania have won just three of their last 19 matches (W3 D7 L9).
Senegal
The pressure is on for Senegal. There can be no excuses on this occasion were they not to claim their first Africa Cup of Nations trophy with what is widely regarded to be the strongest group of players the country has ever possessed. Now it’s about bringing it all together and producing three weeks of consistency – and their form in the past twelve months would suggest they are more than capable of doing precisely that.
No team will begin this competition in a richer vein of form than Aliou Cisse’s men. Since a strong showing at last summer’s World Cup (albeit without progressing very far), The Lions of Teranga have enjoyed some truly scintillating form: seven games unbeaten, winning each of their last six in a row. Five of those were without conceding a goal, which is remarkable.
What is even more impressive is their current 12-game streak without losing to African opposition (W10 D2). We shouldn’t be all that surprised I suppose, as we are talking about a country ranked considerably higher in the FIFA Rankings than anybody else on the continent (22 – the next best is Nigeria in 45). So they genuinely are the team to beat at these finals.
It is a formidable looking team as well, packed full of genuine high-class individuals. A spine consisting of Salif Sane and Kalidou Koulibably in defence shielded by midfielders Cheikhou Kouyate and Idrissa Gueye is levels above most of their rivals. The pace of Ismaila Sarr will wreak havoc out wide, while in captain Sadio Mane they possess one of Europe’s prime forwards who has just posted his best-ever goal figures for a single season (26). Formidable.
It should be noted, however, that Mane is suspended for this opening game of the group.
Tanzania
It would be fair to claim the odds are well and truly stacked against Tanzania, a country ranked 109 places below their opponents and who will be competing in only their second Africa Cup of Nations finals. It might sound harsh but they are possibly a little fortunate to even be here after being placed in one of the weaker qualifying groups and still only managing to scrape through to these finals. Unfortunately there is every chance that their luck may be about to run out here.
Just two wins were enough for Tanzania to qualify in second place in a visibly tame group containing Cape Verde, Lesotho and section winners Uganda. The fact they only mustered two victories, then, hardly inspires much confidence (W2 D2 L2). They failed to even score in 50% of those fixtures, with five of them failing to produce more than two goals in total. Therefore goals may well be in short supply whenever they take to the field at this tournament.
The recent warm up games would back up our pessimistic view of them. Two low-scoring clashes with Egypt (1-0) and Zimbabwe (1-1) that failed to produce many goals or a morale boosting win. In fact, it is only three wins in their last 19 matches (W3 D7 L9); one was against lowly Lesotho (145 in the world) and another versus a Uganda side that had already wrapped up qualification by the time they played.
Just two goals was enough for Mbwana Ally Samatta to lay claim to being their leading scorer during qualification, and the Genk striker will be the main goal threat in this competition for the Taifa Stars. The 26-year-old has scored 17 times in 49 appearances at international level.
Betting Tips
Senegal to WIN to Nil – 4/5 Bet365
Betting Summary
Their price is not going to make anyone rich overnight but Senegal are justifiably strong favourites to win this opening game of the group. 109 places separate these two in the rankings and that should be borne out on the pitch, as Senegal are at their peak right now. The one thing they aren’t quite as strong at is converting their superior quality into big victories. Their current run of six consecutive wins is very impressive, but: on only two occasions did they win by a margin greater than one goal, while only once did they score more than two goals.
A Senegal Win and Under 2.5 Goals at 6/4 could be a way of sprucing up their thin odds. Correct Scores of 1-0 (7/2) and 2-0 (4/1) could also be possible options, although the odds don’t really make it worthwhile. I will simplify it further by backing Senegal to win without conceding, a feat they’ve managed five times in their current six-game winning run.
