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Guinea will lock horns against reigning champions Senegal at the Charles Konan Banny Stadium in their final group-stage match of the Africa Cup of Nations 2023 (AFCON) on Tuesday.
Guinea, who finished as the runners-up in 1976, have enjoyed an unbeaten start to the competition. They were held to a 1-1 draw by Cameroon in their campaign opener after Mohamed Bayo's early goal was canceled out by Frank Magri in the second half.
They bounced back with a win in their previous outing with Aguibou Camara scoring the only goal of the match, thanks to Morgan Guilavogui's assist in their 1-0 win over Gambia.
The reigning champions have got their title defense underway on a positive note recording wins in both their two group-stage games. They have booked their spot in the knockout round and can afford to take a breather in this match.
They defeated the Gambia 3-0 in their campaign opener and built on that form with a 3-1 win over Cameroon, thanks to goals from Ismaïla Sarr, Habib Diallo, and Sadio Mané.
Guinea need at least a point to seal their berth in the knockout stage but can also qualify for the next stage as one of the best-ranked third-placed teams from the group stage depending on other results.
Guinea vs Senegal Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- The two West African nations have a long-standing rivalry and have locked horns 59 times across all competitions. The 2021 AFCON champions have the upper hand in these meetings with a 28-16 lead in wins and 15 games ending in draws.
- They have met four times at the AFCON finals. Guinea have just one win to their name against their northern rivals. Senegal have two wins and just one meeting has ended in a draw.
- They met in the group stage in the previous edition of the AFCON, with the match ending in a goalless draw.
- Six of the last seven meetings between them have produced fewer than 2.5 goals, with three clean sheets for each team.
Guinea vs Senegal Prediction
The National Elephants recorded their first win at the AFCON in five games on Saturday and will look to build on that form here. They have kept two clean sheets in that period and have failed to find the back of the net twice as well. They have just one win in their last six meetings against their northern rivals.
Captain Naby Keïta made an appearance from the bench after recovering from a thigh injury and is expected to start here. Striker Serhou Guirassy is dealing with a hamstring issue and is not in contention to start here.
The Lions of Teranga have the best attacking record in the group stage of the competition, scoring three goals apiece in two games. Interestingly, they have scored three goals in four of their last five appearances at the AFCON and will look to build on that form.
Moussa Niakhaté suffered an injury in the campaign opener while Abdallah Sima was injured in training last week. Sima has left the camp while Niakhaté's involvement here is in doubt.
Considering the current form of the two teams and the reigning champions' better record in this fixture, they should be able to eke out a narrow win.
Prediction: Guinea 1-2 Senegal
Guinea vs Senegal Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Senegal to win
Tip 2: Goals - Over/Under 2.5 Goals - Over 2.5 goals
Tip 3: At least a goal to be scored in the second half - Yes
Tip 4: Ismaïla Sarr to score or assist any time - Yes
