It is a clash of two African heavyweights in Group C

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It is a clash of two African heavyweights in Group C of the Africa Cup of Nations as Morocco square off against Ghana at the Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo on Monday. The Black Stars will be seeking their fifth title, while the Atlas Lions will be looking to end their 45-year wait for the continental crown following their 1976 triumph.

The African Cup of Nations (AFCON) Group C kicks off with a clash between the sides considered likeliest to progress. The second-highest ranked African side by FIFA, one-time winners Morocco are amongst the genuine contenders for glory, after a run of no competitive defeats within 90 minutes since a 1-0 loss to Portugal at the 2018 FIFA World Cup (W25, D9 since).

That success has been built on the Atlas Lions’ formidable backline, with Morocco keeping 17 clean sheets from 21 matches since the beginning of 2021 (an 81% shutout rate). On that note, H2H history tends to favour strong defences, with both teams finding the net in just two of Morocco’s 11 all-time clashes against Ghana (W4, D3, L3).

Aiming for redemption after a round of 16 exit in the most recent AFCON, four-time winners Ghana have been amongst the final four teams in six of the last seven editions. Though respected by all CAF-zone opponents, Ghana lament a recent history of false starts, after failing to win their opening group game in three of the last four AFCON tournaments.

The ‘Black Stars’ were in high spirits with four unbeaten qualifiers ahead of this tournament, until a 3-0 humbling by AFCON champions Algeria in their warm-up friendly. A repeat of that scoreline here seems unlikely though, with each of Ghana’s last six competitive games on foreign soil producing under 2.5 total goals (W2, D2, L2).

Date: 10/01/2022
Time: 19:00
Venue: Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo (Yaoundé)
Pick for this match:
“1” – @ 2.23 ( BETWINNER )