The first international break in the 2021 calendar year in Africa will be dominated by qualifying for the continental championships, which will be held in Cameroon in January and February 2022. A total of 24 teams will be represented, and Senegal, for example, already punched their ticket to the finals in November. In the penultimate qualifying match, Congo and Senegal will now play an away game in Brazzaville.
The Senegalese have lived up to their role as favourites in Group I and have won all four of their matches so far. The lead over third-placed Guinea-Bissau is already nine points and Mane & Co can therefore no longer be caught.
In addition to Senegal, the Republic of Congo will in all likelihood punch the second ticket. The hosts are in second place in the table with seven points and could even secure qualification with a home win. However, the hosts are considered relatively clear underdogs, with the best bookmakers offering odds of up to 4.60 on Congo vs Senegal.
Prediction & Live Odds for Congo vs. Senegal 26/03/2021
Anyone who follows African football and the results a little more closely will quickly realise that big names do not necessarily bring success. This thesis would speak against the prediction for good odds on the guests in the Congo vs. Senegal match on Friday afternoon.
However, the Lions of Teranga have proven in recent years that the national team is among the absolute best in African football. The enormous individual quality is undisputed, but Senegal also function convincingly as a team.
Despite qualifying early, Aliou Cisse is taking this match seriously and is fielding his best formation. Congo will not find an antidote to the pace of Mane, Sarr & Co and the favourite victory is obvious so we advise a bet on the visitors of Senegal with odds of around 1.99 offered from our best betting partners.
Congo – Statistics & current form
“Les Diables Rouges” celebrated their greatest triumph in 1972, when they sensationally won the Africa Cup on home soil. A success that could not even be rudimentarily confirmed in the future. At the last two continental championships, the national team of the country with almost five million inhabitants was not even represented.
Qualification within reach
At least this dry spell should come to an end these days. With two games to go, a four-point lead is a comfortable cushion. Caution is advised, however, because the final game is an away match in Guinea-Bissau. Should they lose to Senegal as expected, this will probably be a direct deciding match for the last ticket.
Given the glaring weakness of head coach Valdo’s team away from home (nine games without a win), there will be some trepidation. To avoid this final, they will have to hope for some help from underdogs Eswatini (better known as Swaziland) or a home win against the heavy favourites.
Goals are a rarity
At least the home record is an encouragement for the underdogs, as a look at the last home games shows only one defeat in nine matches. To be fair, however, it must be mentioned that in the matches of the African Nations Championship, a team of the calibre of Senegal was not hosted in Brazzaville.
What is striking in general, however, is that betting on many goals is not a good option with Congo. In the last twelve international matches, betting on the under 2.5 was the right choice eleven times. Accordingly, the Wettbasis odds comparison for Congo against Senegal only offers odds of around 1.50 for this prediction.
Congo’s likely line-up:
Mafoumbi – Mazikou, Mayembo, Emmerson, Tsouka – Makouta, Avounou – Tchibota, Mbenza, Ibara – Ganvoula
Senegal – Statistics & current form
The sensational success against the then world champions France at the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea was the first major highlight of Senegalese football. Subsequently, however, the enormous ambitions could no longer be fulfilled. It was not until 2018 in Russia that Senegal was again represented at a finals, but had to pull out in the preliminary round.
On the way to becoming the best African team
The second World Cup participation in history was already the first indication that Senegalese football is on the upswing. The development in recent years has been absolutely positive and the team around superstar Sadio Mane only narrowly missed winning its first major title at the 2019 Africa Cup in Egypt. In the final, Senegal lost 1-0 to Algeria.
At the upcoming Africa Cup in Cameroon, head coach Aliou Cisse’s team is once again one of the big favourites. Of course, the Liverpool attacker stands out in Senegal’s squad. But unlike many other African teams, Senegal also has enormous quality to offer across the board.
Edouard Mendy (Chelsea) is undoubtedly one of the best African goalkeepers, the defence with Kalidou Koulibaly and Abdou Diallo has just as much quality as Mane’s attacking colleagues Kreppin Diatta, Ismaila Sarr or Boulaye Dia.
Sovereign qualification with only one goal conceded
The enormous class of the Senegalese is underlined by the fact that no other team in the entire Africa Cup qualifiers has twelve points after four games. Senegal were thus the only team to have already secured their Africa Cup ticket in 2019 (!).
Especially since African teams often struggle in away matches, the flawless record is even more impressive. The individual quality is enormous and although it is only a better friendly match for the Cisse eleven, the head coach does not want to get involved in any experiments and relies on his best squad even in this difficult situation.
A clear favourite for a guest is always to be taken with a pinch of salt, but in the clash between Congo and Senegal, betting on the visitors is definitely justified.
Senegal’s likely line-up:
Mendy – Ballo-Toure, Koulibaly, Diallo, Sabaly – Gueye, Mendy – Mane, Kanoute, Sarr – Diatta
