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We have reached the semi-finals of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON), where we see Senegal take on Egypt in a repeat of the 2021 final. Senegal were victors that day, but Egypt, the competition's most successful team, are out for revenge when the two meet in Tanger on Wednesday.
A sub-plot to the game will see former Liverpool teammates Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané face off as the talisman for their nations. Mané has contributed to Senegal’s success with a goal and three assists, whereas Salah has four goals at this AFCON, only two strikes away from matching the Egyptian national goalscoring record.
It will no doubt be an exciting match with several opportunities to make some savvy bets along the way. Below, we crunch the numbers so you can take advantage of those opportunities for the game.
Senegal v Egypt tips
Mohamed Salah Over 0.5 Shots of Target - 8/15 @ bet365
Idrissa Gana Gueye Over 1.5 Fouls Committed - 8/11 @ bet365
Under 2.5 goals - 19/40 @ bet365
Odds courtesy of bet365. Correct at the time of publication and subject to change.
A shot from Salah on target
Mohamed Salah has never been scared to shoot. In fact, it’s one of the many criticisms that have plagued the Premier League great this season; he shoots when he should pass. Whilst his form for Liverpool has been heavily scrutinised, and still will be when he returns to Anfield, he has gone some way to show that the player of old is still in there at this AFCON.
So far, Salah has scored in all four of the matches he has played at the tournament, showing that he still knows where the net is. Whilst for this bet we can go for Salah to score again, I’m predicting a low-scoring match where he could quite easily not get on the score sheet. The safer bet is to go with a shot on target, which he has in each game so far, with an average of 1.5 shots on target per 90 in the tournament.
Tip: Mohamed Salah Over 0.5 Shots of Target - 8/15 @ bet365
Bet Explanation: Salah needs to register one shot on target for this bet to be a winner.
A couple of fouls for Gueye
At the heart of midfield for Senegal has been Idrissa Gana Gueye. The Everton midfielder has been his combative self for his nation, playing every minute of every game so far. He is known for tough tackling and so far has committed 1.8 fouls per 90 in the tournament.
In the past two games, he has had two fouls to his name, and I expect that to continue against Egypt. The Egyptians have so many quick players, it will be imperative that Gueye does his job well in the middle of the park. Salah again will be one Gueye will have to help stop, and the winger is averaging three fouls per game at the tournament. I can see Gueye having his hands full and committing two fouls at least.
Tip: Idrissa Gana Gueye Over 1.5 Fouls Committed - 8/11 @ bet365
Bet Explanation: Gueye needs to commit two or more fouls for this bet to be a winner.
A game of few goals
Senegal and Egypt are the second and third top scorers in the competition, respectively. Both have found the net more often than not during the competition, yet when the two usually play it is a cagey afair. In each of the past five meetings between the teams, there has not been more than two goals, with the past four all ending 1-0 at the end of normal and/or extra time.
With the stakes of this game, we can see the same thing happening here.
Tip: Under 2.5 goals - 19/40 @ bet365
Bet Explanation: There have to be fewer than three goals in the game for this bet to win.
Senegal v Egypt odds
Senegal to win - 11/10 @ bet365
Odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change.
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The odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change.