The rearranged Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will get underway in January, with the champions crowned following the final on February 6th. Players for the African nations involved would have been checking the latest Nigeria news to see updates regarding when the competition would be taking place, as it was previously due to take place in June and July in 2021.
However, it was announced in June 2020 that the event would be rearranged for January at the start of 2022. But, which sides are likely to be among the leading contenders for the top prize?
Betting On AFCON 2021
Customers looking to make bets on the Africa Cup of Nations will be able to do so, as Nigeria legally allows bets to be made. All bets in the country are regulated by the National Lottery Regulatory Commission. There are a number of leading sites to make bets on the action early in 2021, and you can learn more about the best sites at CasinosNavi. However, which nations will be among the leading contenders to win AFCON 2021?
Algeria
It would be fairly difficult to start anywhere other than the defending champions. Algeria won the 2019 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, beating Senegal 1-0 in the final. That success was the second time that they had won the major tournament; with their previous success coming back in 1990. Few would argue against the claim that the Algerian squad is the best nation in Africa at present. For The Africa Cup of Nations they will be led by the duo of Manchester City star Riyad Mahrez and Olympique Lyonnais’ Islam Slimani, who has already scored four goals during the 2022 Cup qualification.
The Algerian squad has been solid of late, winning two of their last three games while scoring 13 goals. That offensive talent will once again be the driving force behind the success. However, only three previous nations have been able to successfully defend their AFCON title since 1957.
Egypt
You don’t have to go far back in time to find the dominance that Egypt enjoyed at the Africa Cup of Nations. Egypt won an unprecedented three between 2006 and 2010. No nation is as successful as Egypt in the competition, as they have recorded seven victories throughout their history. However, they will be looking for a much-improved effort at the competition this year, having fallen in the round of 16 stage in 2019.
Their chances of success will certainly be high, especially should Mohamed Salah be playing for his nation. Salah’s involvement in the competition may be blocked by his current club Liverpool. Which means those looking to bet on Egypt should examine Nigeria news today before making a wager on the all-time successful side in the AFCON.
Senegal
Senegal are the highest-ranked team in the official FIFA rankings heading into the Africa Cup of Nations in 2021. Which means that they will have an excellent chance. However, they are yet to win the prestigious competition in their history. Their best performances have come with two second place finishes in 2002 and 2019. The most recent AFCON final saw Senegal beaten 1-0 by Algeria. However, it would be hard to ignore their obvious chances in the 2021 competition, as they have one of the strongest teams in the competition.
Their recent form has been good, as they finished second in the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) Cup, losing on penalties in the final against South Africa. They have won each of their opening two Cup qualifiers; scoring five goals and allowing just once. In Sadio Mane, they also have one of the best players on the continent, and the Liverpool star could play a pivotal role alongside Ismailia Sarr if the Senegalese are going to go far in the competition.
Nigeria
Nigeria aren’t without a chance at the Africa Cup of Nations this year, as they have a very progressive and exciting young team. They also have past success in the competition to look back on, as they have won AFCON on three previous occasions. Their most recent success came in 2013, when they beat Burkina Faso in the final.
Nigeria’s form in recent months has also been very good as they build towards the tournament in Cameroon, winning their last two games, conceding just once. However, they will face a difficult challenge getting out of the group, as they are drawn alongside Egypt, Guinea-Bissau and Sudan in Group D.
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