Mauritania vs Algeria prediction: AFRICA: Africa Cup of Nations betting tips on match 2024-01-22 20:00.
Mauritania manager Amir Abdou is vowing to “eliminate” opponents Algeria as the pair meet for their final group game at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). The Lions of Chinguetti head into the fixture on the back of successive defeats to Burkina Faso and Angola, leaving them bottom of the group, but a victory in this fixture would give them a slim chance of qualifying for the round of 16 for the first time in their history.
To do that, though, Mauritania’s form will have to improve dramatically, given they are now on a run of six games without a win (D2, L4). They did at least end a wait of over seven hours for a goal in Saturday’s 3-2 loss to Angola, but just two combined goals from the six H2Hs between these two hints that they could struggle to build on the weekend’s improved attacking display.
Algeria won five of those six H2Hs (D1) and scored at least three goals in each win which understandably makes them hot favourites for this one. But Djamel Belmadi’s side could only manage a 2-2 draw against Burkina Faso this past weekend which is a result that leaves them on two points after two matches and at risk of being dumped out of the tournament.
Belmadi retains plenty of belief that Algeria remain in a strong position, insisting his side can still “get far in this competition,” and indeed a victory would be enough to take them through. They still boast a record of being unbeaten in 14 fixtures (W9, D5) since February 2023, but the pressure is on here for the 2019 champions who could well repeat the misery of two years ago when they did not get out of the group stages.
Players to watch: Striker Aboubakar Kamara is unbeaten across the seven Mauritania internationals in which he has scored (W6, D1). Hoping to out-gun him will be Baghdad Bounedjah, who has netted first or last in six of his last seven goalscoring appearances for Algeria.
Hot streak: Algeria have only conceded two first-half goals in their last 16 competitive internationals.