Africa Cup of Nations 2022 Winner Predictions, Odds, Picks

• The Africa Cup of Nations will be held in Cameroon in January and February
• The tournament was due to take place in 2021 but was delayed by the pandemic
• Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal and Morocco are among the contenders

Africa Cup of Nations 2022 Odds

The odds for the Africa Cup of Nations are provided by Unibet.

The Africa Cup of Nations 2022 will take place in Cameroon in January and February. It was originally due to be held 12 months ago but had to be put back due to the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

This will be the 33rd edition of a tournament which was first held in 1957. Just three teams – Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan – participated in that inaugural competition. In 2022 there will be 24 sides present after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) expanded the Cup of Nations from 16 teams in time for the previous tournament in 2019.

Matches will be held in five cities in Cameroon: Yaounde, Limbe, Douala, Garoua and Bafoussam. Cameroon and Burkina Faso will contest the opening game on January 9, with the final scheduled for February 6.

Egypt are the favorites to win the Africa Cup of Nations 2022. They will prioritize keeping things tight at the back and hope Mohamed Salah can work his magic in the final third.

Senegal were the beaten finalists two years ago and they will be looking to go one better this time around. Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Algeria are also strong contenders to triumph.

As far as outsiders go, Morocco could be worth a look at an attractive price of +1400.

Who Were the Africa Cup of Nations 2019 Winners?

Algeria won the Africa Cup of Nations 2019. They registered three victories in the group stage, beating Kenya, Senegal and Tanzania without conceding a goal. They then triumphed 3-0 over Guinea in the last 16, before squeezing past Ivory Coast on penalties in the quarter-finals.

Algeria advanced to the tournament showpiece courtesy of a 2-1 victory over Nigeria in the semi-finals. Baghdad Bounedjah scored in the second minute of the final against Senegal, and that proved to be the winning goal.

Which Teams Have Been Most Successful at the Africa Cup of Nations?

Which Teams Have Qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations 2022?

How Does the Africa Cup of Nations Work?

The 24 teams have been divided into six groups of four, as seen above. The top two in each group will advance to the knockout phase, where they will be joined by the four best third-place finishers. It is the same format as the European Championship, which also features 24 sides.

Games in the knockout rounds are one-legged ties, with extra time and (if needed) penalty shoot-outs determining the winner if the score is level after 90 minutes.

Which Big Players Will Be at the Africa Cup of Nations 2022?

There will be several well-known soccer stars from the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, the Bundesliga and Ligue 1 at the Africa Cup of Nations 2022. The biggest name is Mohamed Salah, the Liverpool forward who will represent Egypt at the tournament. Salah is one of the best players in the world and he will be desperate to win the first international trophy of his career.

Salah’s team-mate at club level, Sadio Mane, will turn out for Senegal. Other Premier League participants include Thomas Partey (Ghana), Hakim Ziyech (Morocco), Riyad Mahrez (Algeria), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon), Nicolas Pepe (Ivory Coast), Edouard Mendy (Senegal) and Naby Keita (Guinea).

High-profile players from other leagues who will be involved at the Cup of Nations include Paris Saint-Germain full-back Achraf Hakimi (Morocco), Napoli forward Victor Osimhen (Nigeria) and Bayern Munich attacker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (Cameroon).

Why Is the Africa Cup of Nations in January and February?

Most soccer tournaments, including the European Championship, the Copa America, the Gold Cup and the World Cup, usually take place in the months of June and July. By contrast the Africa Cup of Nations tends to be held in January and February – much to the dismay of club managers in Europe’s major leagues who are forced to go without their African players in the middle of the season.

The main reason for its traditional position in the calendar is weather. Many African countries would struggle to host tournaments in June and July due to excessive heat, excessive rainfall or both.

The 2019 edition was held in June and July before a return to the start of the year this time around. The 2023 tournament in Ivory Coast is scheduled to be held in the northern hemisphere summer, with the 2022 World Cup taking place in November and December.

How Can I Watch the Africa Cup of Nations 2022 on TV?

Soccer fans based in the United States can watch the Africa Cup of Nations 2022 on beIN SPORTS.