DR Congo - Guinea predictions and free betting tips [02/02/2024]

Tomorrow evening, as part of the Africa Cup of Nations playoffs, the teams of DR Congo and Guinea will face each other in the quarterfinals.

DR Congo national team

The Democratic Republic of Congo's (DR Congo) national team managed to reach the quarterfinals of the Africa Cup of Nations by overcoming Egypt in a tense penalty shootout. In regular time, the Congolese scored in the 37th minute thanks to Meshack but Egypt levelled the score by converting a penalty due to an elbow foul committed by one of DR Congo's defenders. Despite creating more dangerous opportunities, the Congolese couldn't find a second goal. In the penalty shootout, veteran Masuaku failed to score, but goalkeeper Mpasi managed to save Mustafa Mohammed's penalty as well as scoring the decisive penalty himself after Egypt's goalkeeper missed.

Ranking second in their group without a win, DR Congo's performance is reminiscent of Portugal's 2018 World Cup run. In their final group match, they drew with Tanzania, not conceding a single shot on goal. Their opening match of the tournament also resulted in a draw with Zambia, dominating possession for the majority of the match but only managing one goal - 1:1.

The team boasts a strong lineup, especially in defence with players like Milan’s Kessié's brother, Marseille's captain Mbemba, and Masuaku. Midfield showcases the talents of Gael Kakuta. Upfront, key figures include Yoann Wissa, Theo Bongonda, Silas Katompa Mvumpa, Cedric Bakambu, and Simon Banza.

Guinea national team

Coached by Daba Diawara, Guinea's national team successfully reached the Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals after prevailing in the Guinean derby against Equatorial Guinea with a 1:0 scoreline. The decisive goal was scored by Bayo in the 98th minute, after his team had been playing with a numerical advantage from the 55th minute. Equatorial Guinea failed to convert a penalty in the 68th minute. It was a low-scoring match, but the shot by Reims' 20-year-old defender Ibrahima Diakhite and Bayo's strike granted Guinea their win.

Guinea also showed an excellent performance in the group stage, beating Gambia 1:0 courtesy of a 69th-minute goal from Kamara. In their opening match, they drew 1:1 with Cameroon, conceding a goal after Kamano was sent off.

Guinea's lineup includes notable players as Girassi, one of Bundesliga's top scorers, although he is yet to shine in this tournament due to injury. Additionally, Valencia's Diallo and former Lokomotiv Moscow player Kamano feature in the team. Historically, Guinea reached second place in the African Cup in 1976 and regularly reached the quarterfinals of the tournament in the early 21st century, a measure of their consistent continental level, as they have demonstrated again now.

Head to Head

The Democratic Republic of Congo and Guinea have faced each other in several notable matches. For instance, in the qualifying round for the World Cup in Russia held on November 11, 2017, DR Congo gained a 3:1 victory. In their previous match on November 13, 2016, Guinea also fell short with a 1:2 scoreline. They also met in the Africa Nations Championship semifinal on February 3, 2016, where DR Congo came on top again, winning 2:1 in overtime. In a friendly held on August 16, 2005, DR Congo dominated once more, finishing the match with a score of 3:1.

Prediction for DR Congo - Guinea match

Based on the group stage results, the Congolese look stronger, but Guinea also demonstrated robust defence in the match against Equatorial Guinea. Predicting the outcome is tricky; I'm inclined towards a careful match with minimal goals. Hence, my bet is on the total goals under 1.5.