AFCON 2022 round of 16 Preview

By Greg Stewart

We are now down to the hard business end of the African Cup Of Nations 2022 tournament, where one poor game will guarantee the exit of even the best team. If AFCON 2022 has shown one thing, it’s the unpredictability of these big world stage tournaments.

Pre-AFCON 2022, very few would have bet on defending Champions Algeria exiting after the group stage, having been completely outplayed by Nigeria in a 3-1 thrashing in their group D clash and having not won a single game.

No one could have predicted that Senegal, one of the pre-tournament favourites, would get through to the last 16 at the top of group B, with only having scored a single goal. Or That Ghana would be dumped out of the AFCON tournament and beaten 3-2 by low ranked Comoros.

AFCON 2022 has certainly been intriguing and entertaining with teams such as Ivory Coast, Mali and Gambia surprising a lot of football fans with superb performances and the surviving sixteen have certainly earned their place in the knock-outs.

The question all sixteen must answer is; Who will have the strike power and staying power to last into the quarters and final? Egypt have certainly performed below expectation with only two goals scored in the group stages and will have to find some answers quickly when they face the Ivory Elephants on Wednesday 26^th January, if they are to have any chance to make it into the quarters. Mo Salah who is currently the top goal scorer in the EPL has not fired a single goal home in the tournament so far and the Pharoh’s will be hoping this changes soon.

Host nation Cameroon, has performed superbly with top tournament goal scorer Vincent Aboubakar leading their campaign charge with five tournament goals so far and would be my choice to score most goals for the tournament. Cameroon have scored more than any other team in the group stages (7 goals for) and face a relatively easier match against the Comoros that should see them ease into a Quarter-final berth.

Nigeria have without doubt been the team of the tournament so far beating tournament favourites Sudan and Egypt with ease in a tremendous display of attacking football. Forwards Sadiq Umar and Alex Iwobi have been world class and the Nigerian defence has been solid with only a single goal scored against them in the group stage. Nigeria is certainly a great bet to take the champions title this year and you can still get them at betting odds of 6:1 on SunBet with Cameroon also in contention at 5.5:1 on SunBet

AFCON Round of 16 Dates and Betting Predictions: