While there’s a ton of attention on the English Premier League and other club action around the world, don’t forget that the Africa Cup of Nations has reached the quarterfinals and several teams have emerged as serious contenders to win it all. Come later this week, even more teams are going to separate themselves. With that said, Morocco remains the AFCON favorite with the tourney in full swing.
This shouldn’t come as a major surprise, as Morocco entered the tournament with incredibly high expectations. Thus far throughout the tournament, Morocco has lived up to the hype and people are starting to take serious notice of what they’re going to be able to get done this winter. With that said manager Walid Regragui knows his team still needs to improve.
“We knew it was not going to be easy, judging by the matches we saw the previous day, even if we thought it might be more straightforward. The first half was not good, but I recognised my team much more in the second half. The most important thing is qualification,” Regragui told reporters. “We were not at our level completely, especially in the first half. We wasted numerous chances.”
According to the Las Vegas odds, Morocco holds +200 odds to win it all. This just goes to show that the Las Vegas oddsmakers think Morocco has more than enough talent to pull things off. Come this Friday, Morocco will take on Cameroon and the hope is they’ll move on to the semifinals next. While we wouldn’t be surprised if Morocco does win it all, we have someone else in mind to pull through.
🚨🇲🇦 Brahim Díaz becomes the first player in Morocco’s history to score 4 goals in a single AFCON run. pic.twitter.com/bCpZc8fY22
Senegal is our pick to win the AFCON Tournament this year
Call it a hunch, but Senegal is our pick to win the AFCON Tournament this year. Senegal actually holds the No. 2 odds to win it all this year and that shouldn’t be a shocker at all. This team is no question led by veteran goal-scorer Said Mane, who is best known for his incredible play with Liverpool FC not too long ago. Mane is now playing in Saudi Arabia, but he’s also got Senegal looking great.
“The best team doesn’t always win the Africa Cup of Nations; rather, the team’s mental state plays a significant role, especially with the numerous challenges in this competition,” Mane said recently. “I believe we will try to remain humble and grounded, and most importantly, try to approach each match individually.”
Looking to get in on the betting action too? This is a reminder that the top local sportsbooks are often offering up great deals and promotions for everyone to take a look at. This includes Bovada, BetOnline bonus codes – best promos and more, which is great news for fans out there who have an eye on the AFCON tourney and everything else going on with the sport. If you’re on the fence about things, the promotions could help turn your head.
As for the play back on the pitch, Senegal holds +325 Vegas soccer odds to win the AFCON tournament. Later this week, Senegal is going to take on Mali in the quarterfinals and the expectation is that they should cruise to a win. Should that happen, Senegal will be on the way to the semifinals and it will only feel better about its chances of winning it all. From our chair, we think that’s going to happen.
Ivory Coast is a dark horse contender to win AFCON
While a lot of the focus is on Senegal and Morocco right now, keep in mind that the Ivory Coast is a dark horse contender to win AFCON. Come this week, the Ivory Coast is going to have its hands full in trying to take down Egypt, as Mohamed Salah is playing at a high clip and he’s hungry to help his home country with the title. So, will the Ivory Coast be able to slow them down?
In order for that to happen, Amad Diallo is going to have to be at his best, as he’s a threat to score whenever he takes the field. Amad is best known for his play with Manchester United, as he has really come on strong for the English Premier League side this year. MUFC is no question missing him in action, with the Red Devils posting three straight draws against Wolves, Leeds United and Burnley.
Despite that, Amad has been putting on a show throughout the tournament of late and he has Ivory Coast fans hoping that he’ll be able to help this team silence the haters. First, the Ivory Coast is going to have to take down Salah and Egypt, which won’t be an easy task. If they manage to get that done and move on to the semis, then the rest of the field is going to have to take them seriously.
Have some betting questions? Be sure to check out Las Vegas online casinos and their reviews for anything you might have in mind.
Braulio Perez is a sports writer with more than 10 years of experience in journalism. He's a graduate of Washington State University. He has covered NCAA, NFL, MLB, NBA and more for multiple publications. Braulio currently resides in New York City.