Equatorial Guinea vs Guinea Bissau prediction 18.01.2024

• Competition: Africa Cup of Nations
• Date: Thursday, 18th January 2024
• Kickoff: 14:00 UTC / 15:00 CET
• Venue: Stade Olympique Alassane Ouattara (Abidjan)

An intriguing Africa Cup of Nations clash between Equatorial Guinea and Guinea Bissau is set to take place on Thursday afternoon at Stade Olympique Alassane Ouattara in Abidjan. Although these teams are not among the top African teams, they aspire to advance into the knockout phase.

The tournament started off excellently for Equatorial Guinea with a 1-1 draw against Nigeria. Despite being considered a long shot, Juan Micha Obiang Bicogo’s squad’s near-flawless defense earned them a crucial point. While Equatorial Guinea’s team may be considered average and most of their players are unfamiliar to many, they are currently enjoying an 11-match undefeated streak. Obiang Bicogo’s team’s primary strength lies in their exceptional defense, an attribute they intend to capitalize on in the second round against Guinea Bissau.

On paper, Equatorial Guinea’s team ranks amongst the weakest at the Africa Cup of Nations. Their star player is Saul Coco, who has played in 16 league rounds for Las Palmas this season. Another noteworthy player is Jose Machin, with nine matches for Monza under his belt. Despite their lack of high-quality players, Equatorial Guinea is performing impressively under the guidance of their head coach, Juan Micha Obiang Bicogo.

Guinea Bissau is likely one of the least proficient teams in the tournament, and they are expected to rank last in their group. They commenced the competition with a 2-0 defeat to Ivory Coast. Baciro Cande’s team had difficulties from the get-go as they were already trailing by the fourth minute. Throughout the game, Ivory Coast faced little challenge in securing all three points.

Guinea Bissau boasts a slightly larger number of players in major European leagues compared to Equatorial Guinea. The nation’s foremost national team player is forward Mama Balde, who has played in ten Ligue 1 games for Lyon in the current season. Other notable players include Fali Cande of Metz, Franculino from Midtjylland, and Houbouland Mendes of Almeria.

Equatorial Guinea vs Guinea Bissau pick: Under 2.5 goals

In their past seven games, Equatorial Guinea has only conceded three goals, with each of those games having less than 2.5 goals. Comparatively, Guinea Bissau has managed to score just six goals in their last five matches. Therefore, betting on ‘under 2.5 goals’ seems to be the most promising for this matchup.