Monday Africa Cup of Nations predictions: Morocco can start with statement win

Best bets and analysis for Monday's matches in the Africa Cup of Nations.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Premier League & Football, from 1pm

Best bets

Senegal -1 goal on handicap 1pm
1pt 6-5 Betfair, Coral, Paddy Power

Morocco 4pm
2pts 23-20 Betfred

Monday betting preview

Monday's batch of Africa Cup of Nations fixtures features the teams in Groups B and C.

Outright favourites Senegal, spearheaded by Sadio Mane, get the day's action underway against Zimbabwe, while tournament debutants Comoros face Gabon in their opener.

Senegal v Zimbabwe

Sky Sports Main Event, Premier League & Football, 1pm

Runners-up at Afcon 2019, Senegal are expected to go far in this year's tournament in Cameroon but they will start on the back foot with a number of players missing for their clash with Zimbabwe.

Goalkeeper Edouard Mendy and defender Kalidou Koulibaly have reportedly tested positive for Covid-19, as has Famara Diedhiou.

But the likes of Idrissa Gueye and Mane are still in line to play and they have enough in their locker to see off Zimbabwe, who have failed to win any of their last 11 competitive fixtures.

Senegal, meanwhile, are fresh from five wins and a draw from their six World Cup qualifiers and, even accounting for absences, the gulf in class is still big enough that they can win by at least two goals. Back them at -1 goal on the handicap.

Guinea v Malawi

Sky Sports Premier League, 4pm

Guinea's preparations for this year's Afcon have not gone well.

Appointed in October, manager Kaba Diawara has only one win to his name in the role - that came in a friendly with Rwanda on Thursday - and they failed to win a single game in World Cup qualifying. They have also struggled to get the best out of Liverpool's Naby Keita in midfield.

But with defeats in each of their last four competitive fixtures, Malawi have not performed much better and this is a tough one to call.

Morocco v Ghana

Sky Sports Main Event & Football, 4pm

Morocco are among the favourites to lift the trophy and for good reason.

They sailed through World Cup qualifying, winning all six of their matches, scoring 20 goals and conceding only once in the process.

Although Hakim Ziyech is not involved due to a feud with coach Vahid Halilhodzic, they are still an exciting team in the final third with Munir El Haddadi, Youssef En-Nesyri and Achraf Hakimi among the players who can cause problems.

Ghana, however, concluded preparations with a 3-0 defeat to Algeria and could be out of their depth in this one.

Comoros v Gabon

Sky Sports Main Event, Premier League & Football, 7pm

This will be a first Afcon finals for Comoros but they approach it in good spirits having won three of their last four friendly matches.

That included a 7-1 spanking of Seychelles, while they lost only one of their six matches in qualifying for this competition.

Their first match is against Gabon, who will be without coach Anicet Yala, star forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and midfielder Mario Lemina after the trio tested positive for Covid-19.

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