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Algeria will square off against Angola at the Stade Bouaké in their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign opener on Monday.
Algeria won their second title in 2019 but had a poor outing in their title defense in the 2021 edition, as they were eliminated from the group stage, finishing at the bottom of the Group E standings.
Angola did not qualify for the previous edition and will look to at least qualify for the knockout stage here. They have been eliminated from the group stage in their previous three appearances in the competitions and will look to leave a better account of themselves here.
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The 2019 champions head into their campaign opener in great form, recording four wins on the trot. In their friendly against Burundi earlier this week, they registered a 4-0 win. Baghdad Bounedjah, Riyad Mahrez, Islam Slimani, and Mohamed Amoura were on the scoresheet and will look to continue their form here.
Angola have drawn their last five games in a row, with four ending goalless. They played Congo DR in a friendly last week, which ended in a goalless draw, and will look to build on the defensive form.
Algeria vs Angola Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- The two teams have crossed paths nine times across all competitions, meeting just once in the AFCON. They have contested these games closely, with Algeria having a narrow 2-1 lead in wins and six games ending in draws.
- They met in the group stage of the 2010 AFCON, which ended in a goalless draw.
- Angola are winless in their last six games in the AFCON, scoring just twice while conceding six goals in that period.
- Five of the nine meetings between the two teams have produced fewer than 2.5 goals, with three games ending in goalless draws.
Algeria vs Angola Prediction
The Desert Warriors have registered four wins on the trot and have kept clean sheets in the last three games. They went winless in the 2021 AFCON group stage, failing to score in two of the three games while conceding four goals, and will be gunning to produce an improved performance this time around.
Head coach Djamel Belmadi has called up a strong squad, headlined by their impressive attacking lineup. Youcef Atal is a surprise inclusion in the squad as he has not played for Nice since October after being suspended by the club following an anti-Semitic clip on social media, which was later deleted.
Palancas Negras have just one win in their last 10 games across all competitions and might struggle here. Nonetheless, they have drawn their last five games, keeping four clean sheets on the trot. Interestingly, they have failed to score in six of their last seven games in all competitions.
They have just four wins in their 26 games at the AFCON thus far but have a decent goalscoring record in that period with 30 goals to their name. Cagliari striker Zito Luvumbo is a key player for them in this match.
Considering the current form of the two teams and goalscoring troubles for Angola, Algeria should be able to register a comfortable win and the odds of a clean sheet also look good.
Prediction: Algeria 2-0 Angola
Algeria vs Angola Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Algeria to win
Tip 2: Goals - Over/Under 2.5 Goals - Under 2.5 goals
Tip 3: At least a goal to be scored in the second half - Yes
Tip 4: Islam Slimani to score or assist any time - Yes
