As they look to build on their already-sealed progress from Group C, Senegal will take on Guinea in a first vs second clash that will surely see some end-to-end action.
The match has additional spice, as the Mané vs Guirassy clash will also unfold as two of Africa’s brightest talents face off on the pitch.
Sadio Mané has played a part in Senegal’s two opening AFCON victories and looks in solid form. The Lions of Teranga captain assisted the match opener for Pape Gueye in the 3-1 win over Gambia. Mané then opened his AFCON account with a late goal in the 3-0 victory against Cameroon.
Serhou Guirassy has not featured at the 2023 AFCON yet due to a thigh injury. However, Guinea’s talisman was named on the bench for the National Elephants’ 1-0 victory over Gambia. Kaba Diawara will be hopeful that his main goal scorer will be fit enough to help Guinea seal a positive result over Senegal.
Mané vs Guirassy goalscorer odds comparison
Anytime goalscorer
Mané’s first AFCON goal could provide further momentum for the Senegal forward to strike in a second consecutive match. The well-taken finish in second-half injury time was also Mané’s third goal in all competitions for club and country.
Six goals from two AFCON matches show that Senegal can create chances and are finding the net regularly. This could lead to more scoring opportunities for Mané, who is backed at 13/5 to score anytime against Guinea.
It seems likely that Guirassy will play some part in Guinea’s upcoming encounter with Senegal. The striker’s presence will be a huge boost to the National Elephants, who have only scored two goals in their opening two fixtures.
Guirassy has been in electric scoring form for club side Stuttgart this season, notching 19 in just 16 appearances in all competitions. Currently, he is averaging a goal every 62 minutes at club level.
Whether he makes a cameo from the bench or starts against Senegal, the 27-year-old will be a genuine goal threat. A Guirassy anytime goal for Guinea therefore comes with odds of 37/10.
First Goalscorer
However, the question marks over Guirassy’s fitness mean his starting place is not confirmed as yet. As a result, the first goalscorer odds for the Guinea forward are significantly lower at 8/1.
If the Stuttgart man can make a recovery in time to start in this clash, he could be a solid pick for an early strike. This season, seven of his 17 Bundesliga goals have come in the first half, while five goals in all competitions have been match openers.
A Mané first goalscorer pick comes with better odds at 6/1. Not only is the Senegal captain likely to start the match, but he also has a strong record for striking early this season.
Half of Mané’s goals for club side Al-Nassr have come in the first half. In addition, the 31-year-old has scored five match openers in all competitions.
We've also put together a more extensive list of candidates to be first scorer in Group C's upcoming showdown.
Score or Assist
Another potential pick in the Mané vs Guirassy match-up is the ‘to score or assist' market.
As a more out-and-out centre forward, Guirassy provides fewer assists and has teed up just one goal for Stuttgart this season. This low number is consistent with the striker’s career stats, as he has just 15 assists compared to 98 goals in his senior club career.
With a goal and assist in his previous two AFCON appearances, Mané is a better selection for a goal or assists. At club level with Al-Nassr, the forward’s four assists on top of his eight goals for the season showcase his ability to create as well as score.
Conclusion
The Mané vs Guirassy head-to-head could be one of the biggest spectacles of the AFCON. Both sides are gunning for the top spot in Group C and either player could make the difference. However, Mané’s consistent presence and goal contributions place him ahead of Guirassy as a standout pick in the markets above.
This will be the first clash involving Mané and Guirassy since October 2022, when Bayern Munich hosted Stuttgart in the Bundesliga. There were plenty of goals in this clash, which ended 2-2, and Guirassy was the Stuttgart hero, netting a 92nd-minute penalty to earn a point for his side.
