Guinea - Senegal predictions and free betting tips [23/01/2024]

Today in the 3rd round of Group C at the Africa Cup of Nations, two teams that have secured further progression will cross paths - Guinea and Senegal.

Guinea national team

Surprisingly, Guinea has ensured their departure from the group, confidently defeating Gambia 1:0 in the second round of the Africa Cup of Nations. The Guineans dominated offensively, creating multiple dangerous instances, but only managed to capitalise on one - Kamara scored on the 69th minute after being assisted by Guilavogui. Earlier on, the team drew 1:1 with Cameroon, conceding a responding goal following Kamano's expulsion.

Guinea's line-up includes one of the Bundesliga's best strikers, Girassi. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury in his latest match for Stuttgart and whilst he was listed for the second match, he did not get a chance to play. The team also includes key players from European clubs: defender Diakhabi from Valencia, and Kamanı, a former player of Moscow's Lokomotiv. Though Guinea hasn't participated in World Cup finals, the team secured second place in the Africa Cup in 1976 and consistently made it to the quarterfinals of the Africa Cup of Nations at the start of the 21st century.

Guinea's matches leading up to the tournament included a victory over Nigeria, a defeat from Botswana, and success against Uganda. Moreover, during friendly matches, the team drew with Gabon and defeated Guinea-Bissau, demonstrating their ability to compete at an African level.

Senegal national team

As reigning African champions, Senegal commenced their Africa Cup of Nations journey confidently, securing a rise from the group following a 3:1 victory over Cameroon in the second round. Ismaïla Sarr opened the scoring on the 16th minute after a pass from his namesake Pepe, and Diallo extended the team's lead on the 71st minute due to Ismaïla Sarr's assist. In the closing moments of the match, the team conceded a goal from a corner kick but Sadio Mané sealed the deal on the 95th minute, outplaying a poorly performing Onana.

Earlier, coach Aliou Cissé's team overcame Gambia 3:0. Guèye scored the first goal on the 4th minute following a pass from Mané, then Kamara and Sarr doubled and tripled the lead on the 52nd and 86th minutes respectively. Senegal demonstrated a compelling game, especially following Adams’ expulsion from the Gambia team, showing superiority in ball possession and attack.

Senegal has an incredibly strong line-up and experience, including the globally recognised Sadio Mané, currently playing in Saudi Arabia, as well as other key players from SA: Koulibaly, Diallo and goalkeeper Édouard Mendy. The team is well-balanced, with a strong midfield consisting of Nampalys Mendy and Idrissa Guèye and offensive potential in Ismaïla Sarr and Chelsea's Nicholas Jackson, who hasn't lived up to expectations as of yet.

In the lead-up to the Africa Cup of Nations, Senegal demonstrated stable results, including draws with Zambia and Libya and a victory over Mauritius in the World Cup 2026 qualifiers.

Head-to-Head

Guinea and Senegal have faced off several times in various tournaments, including the African Nations Championship. Notably, it's interesting to point out two encounters that took place during the finals of the championship. Both times Guinea triumphed in the penalty shoot-out series across two matches. The meeting on 2nd September 2022 ended in favour of Guinea 1:0, which also won the penalty shoot-out. The first encounter on 27th August 2022 saw Cameroon come out stronger 1:0.

Other encounters between these teams were likewise tense. For instance, the 14th January 2022 match at the African Nations Cup ended goalless, and on 20th October 2019 and 21st September 2019 at the African Nations Championship, Guinea defeated Senegal across two matches again, losing the first match 0:1 but winning the penalty shoot-out series.

Predictions for Guinea - Senegal match

I'm anticipating Girassi's return from injury and a vibrant match from two teams that displayed shining football in the first two rounds and have secured group exit. Senegal has shown capability to score even without Mané, who may be rested.