Cape Verde – Cameroon

17 January 2022

• Cape Verde lost 0-1 against Burkina Faso last time out in the Africa Cup of Nations, after only losing one of their first eight games in the competition (W2 D5).
• Cameroon have won both of their games in this year’s Africa Cup of Nations so far (2-1 v Burkina Faso and 4-1 v Ethiopia), while they last won their opening three games in a single edition of the tournament in 2006.
• Cape Verde’s last four games at the Africa Cup of Nations have seen just two goals scored (one for, one against), having kept three clean sheets in this period, but also failing to score on three occasions themselves (W1 D2 L1).
• Cameroon forward Vincent Aboubakar has been directly involved in six goals in his last four appearances at the Africa Cup of Nations (five goals, one assist), while he has netted a brace in both of his games in the current tournament (v Burkina Faso and Ethiopia).

Burkina Faso – Ethiopia

17 January 2022

• Burkina Faso have only lost one of their last five games in the group stage of the Africa Cup of Nations (W2 D2), with that lone defeat coming against Cameroon on MD1. They will be looking to win consecutive games in the group stage of the competition for the first time since February 1998 (v Algeria and Guinea).
• Ethiopia are winless in their last 10 games at the Africa Cup of Nations (D3 L7), and have lost their last four in a row. A defeat here would equal their longest losing run in their history in the competition (five games between 1968 and 1970).
• No player has had more shots (4) or created more chances (6) for Burkina Faso in this year’s Africa Cup of Nations than Gustavo Sangaré. He has been involved in 10 shots, at least four more than any of his teammates in this edition so far.
• Mignot Debebe has registered the most touches (128), passes (110) and clearances (9) among Ethiopian players in the Africa Cup of Nations 2021.

Malawi (9/1) – Senegal (4/11)

18 January 2022

• Malawi have lost their third game in the group stage on each of their previous two appearances at the Africa Cup of Nations, losing to Ghana in 1984 (0-1) and Mali in 2010 (1-3).
• Senegal have lost just one of their last eight group stage games at the Africa Cup of Nations since the start of the 2017 edition (W5 D2), keeping six clean sheets and conceding just three goals.
• Each of the last three teams facing Senegal for the first time at the Africa Cup of Nations have suffered defeats, with Tanzania, Uganda and Benin all losing against them in 2019.
• After becoming the first ever Malawi player to score a brace at the Africa Cup of Nations, Gabadinho Mhango could be the first Malawi player to score in consecutive AFCON appearances since Russell Mwafulirwa in January 2010, while one more goal would make him Malawi’s top goal-scorer in their history in the competition.

Zimbabwe (6/1) – Guinea (3/5)

18 January 2022

• Zimbabwe are looking to avoid losing four consecutive Africa Cup of Nations matches for the very first time, while defeat would also see them lose all three group stage matches in a single AFCON edition for the first time.
• Guinea are unbeaten in their two Africa Cup of Nations 2021 games (W1 D1), keeping consecutive clean sheets for the first time in the competition. In fact, they’ve stopped the opposition from scoring in three of their last four AFCON matches, as many times as in all their previous 41 games at the tournament.
• Zimbabwe’s only two victories at the Africa Cup of Nations have come in their final group stage match, winning both games by a 2-1 score-line (against Algeria in 2004 and Ghana in 2006).
• After their 0-0 against Senegal, Guinea have never failed to score in consecutive group stage games at the Africa Cup of Nations, while they haven’t lost their final group game since 1998 (W2 D4 since).

Gabon (7/1) – Morocco (7/10)

18 January 2022

• Gabon are unbeaten in their last five Africa Cup of Nations games (W1 D4), their joint-best such run in the competition (also five games between January 2012 and January 2015, W4 D1).
• Morocco are unbeaten in their last six matches at the Africa Cup of Nations, winning five (D1), their longest run without defeat in the competition since their first 11 games in the competition between 1972 and 1978.
• If they avoid defeat to Morocco, Gabon could go unbeaten in the group stages of the Africa Cup of Nations in consecutive appearances in the competition for the first time. (D3 in 2017 and W1 D1 so far in this edition).
• Morocco are unbeaten in their final group stage game in six of their last seven Africa Cup of Nations appearances (W3 D3), with the exception being a 2-0 defeat to Ghana in 2008.

Ghana (7/25) – Comoros (11/1)

18 January 2022

• Ghana have only won one of their last eight Africa Cup of Nations games (D4 L3), failing to score in half of those matches.
• Comoros could become the fifth team to fail to score a single group stage goal in their debut Africa Cup of Nations tournament, after Burundi (2019), Gabon (1994), Sierra Leone (1994) and Mozambique (1986).
• Ghana have just one point so far in this year’s edition (D1 L1) – they’ve never failed to win at least one group stage match in all their previous 22 appearances at the Africa Cup of Nations. The Black stars last failed to progress from their AFCON group in 2006.
• Nine of Ghana’s last 13 goals (70%) at the Africa Cup of Nations have been scored by brothers André (5) or Jordan (4) Ayew. After netting his 10^th AFCON goal against Gabon, André Ayew is looking to score in consecutive matches in the competition for the first time.

Guinea-Bissau (21/5) – Nigeria (7/10)

19 January 2022

• Guinea-Bissau remain winless in their eight matches in the Africa Cup of Nations (D3 L5); only Benin (14), Mozambique (12) and Namibia (9) have played more games in the tournament without ever picking up a win.
• Nigeria have won 11 of their last 13 Africa Cup of Nations matches (L2), including both in this year’s tournament so far. They last won each of their opening three matches of an edition back in 2006.
• Guinea-Bissau are yet to score in this year’s Africa Cup of Nations despite attempting 16 shots with an xG total of 2.21 in their two matches so far. Overall, they have failed to score in their last six Africa Cup of Nations matches; no nation has ever gone seven straight games without a goal in the competition’s history.
• Taiwo Awoniyi has attempted nine shots in this year’s Africa Cup of Nations, more than twice as many as any other Nigeria player. He has also had more touches in the opposition’s box than any other Nigeria player in their opening two matches of this edition (14).

Egypt (2/9) – Sudan (15/1)

19 January 2022

• The first ever match in the Africa Cup of Nations was between Egypt and Sudan – it took place on 10^th February 1957 in Khartoum, the Sudanese capital. The Pharaohs won 2-1.
• Egypt are unbeaten in each of their last eight matchday three games of a group stage at the Africa Cup of Nations, winning six and drawing two since a 1-0 defeat to Morocco in 1998 edition.
• Sudan have had fewer shots (15) and registered a lower expected goals total (1.25) of any side in Group D at this edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, while they’ve also faced a group-high expected goals total of 3.17.
• Since the start of the 2017 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, Mohamed Salah has been directly involved in 64% of Egypt’s 11 goals in the competition, a higher share than any other Egyptian player (7 of 11 - 5 goals, 2 assists).

Côte d'Ivoire (49/20) – Algeria (27/20)

20 January 2022

• Côte d'Ivoire and Algeria will face off for the fifth time in the Africa Cup of Nations since 2010, the most played fixture in that time alongside Ghana-Mali. Their last four encounters have produced 15 goals.
• Algeria could fail to win all three group stage games at a single edition of the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time since 2017 (D2 L1). Coming into MD3 at this year’s tournament, no side has attempted more shots than Algeria (32), who have yet to find the net.
• Côte d'Ivoire have lost just two of their last 16 matches at the Africa Cup of Nations (W7 D7), with both defeats coming against Morocco (in 2019 and 2017). Indeed, Côte d'Ivoire are unbeaten in their last five in the competition (W3 D2).
• Algeria’s Sofiane Feghouli has scored two goals in the Africa Cup of Nations – both have come against Côte d'Ivoire: in 2013 and 2019.

Sierra Leone (47/20) – Equatorial Guinea (7/5)

20 January 2022

• Sierra Leone have only picked up one victory from their seven matches at the Africa Cup of Nations (D3 L3), though they’d scored as many goals in their last match (2 vs Côte d'Ivoire), as they had done in their previous six combined in the competition (2).
• Equatorial Guinea have only lost two of their eight group stage games at the Africa Cup of Nations (W4 D2), keeping a clean sheet in three of their last four such matches, including last time out versus Algeria.
• No Equatorial Guinea player has been directly involved in more shots at this edition of the Africa Cup of Nations than José Machín (7 – 3 shots, 4 chances created), while Machín has had more touches (115) and attempted more passes (91) than any of his teammates at this tournament.
• Coming into matchday three of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, Sierra Leone’s Mohamed Nbalie Kamara has made more saves than any other goalkeeper (12), including saving Franck Kessié’s penalty last time out against Côte d'Ivoire.

Gambia (7/1) – Tunisia (11/20)

20 January 2022

• Gambia are unbeaten in their first two games at the Africa Cup of Nations (W1 D1) and could become the third team to avoid defeat in the group stage of their debut appearance in the competition since the turn of the century, after Cape Verde (W1 D2 in 2013) and Madagascar (W2 D1 in 2019).
• Tunisia are unbeaten in their last four Africa Cup of Nations games against debutants (W3 D1), since losing to South Africa in the final in 1996 (2-0).
• Tunisia have missed more penalties (4) than any other team at the Africa Cup of Nations since 2010 (When Opta began collecting this data).
• Wahbi Khazri has been directly involved in six of Tunisia’s last 11 goals (55%) at the Africa Cup of Nations, scoring four and registering two assists. Indeed, no player has been involved in more AFCON goals for the Eagles of Carthage than Khazri (6), since his debut in the competition in 2013.

Mali (8/25) – Mauritania (9/1)

20 January 2022

• Mali are unbeaten in six consecutive group stage games at the Africa Cup of Nations (W3 D3), scoring in all six games (nine in total), their longest scoring run in AFCON group stage games in their history in the competition.
• Mauritania remain winless at the Africa Cup of Nations (D2 L3), failing to score in their last four AFCON matches since netting against Mali in their 4-1 defeat in 2019.
• Having scored in Mali’s first two matches at this year’s Africa Cup of Nations, Ibrahima Koné (2 goals) could become the first player to score three goals for Mali at a single edition since Seydou Keita in 2013.
• Mauritania have hit the target with just three of their 31 attempts at goal (9.7%) in their last two Africa Cup of Nations games. Coming into the third round of matches, only Algeria (32) have had more shots without scoring in the competition this year.