The business end of the Africa Cup of Nations is finally here, as Senegal and Egypt clash in the semi-final on Wednesday, January 14.
The Lions of Teranga are searching for their third appearance at an AFCON final in their last four attempts, and they will hope to banish the memory of the previous edition, where they exited at the Round-of-16.
Meanwhile, Egypt are Africa’s most successful nation when it comes to this competition, winning it seven times already, and if they can make it to the final, it will be their third appearance in the last five editions of this tournament.
Explore our Senegal vs Egypt betting tips below.
Contents
Senegal vs Egypt predictions: Momentum with the Lions
Key stats
- Senegal won 10 of their last 11 internationals against African opposition.
- Pape Thiaw’s men only conceded two goals in five games, keeping three clean sheets in that run.
- Egypt only kept two clean sheets in their previous 11 outings.
- Twelve of the 15 all-time head-to-heads produced fewer than two goals.
Correct scored prediction: Senegal 1-0 Egypt
Senegal’s defence is one of the toughest to break through, as they’ve only been breached twice in this competition so far. They are less free-scoring against tougher opponents, as they demonstrated against Mali in the quarter-finals. The Egyptians also tend to struggle against quality teams, as they failed to score against Angola in the group stage. Furthermore, Egypt only scored once across the last five meetings with Senegal.
Pre-game odds and win probability: Regressed from favourites
- HOME: 21/20 (2.05) – 48.8%
- DRAW: 19/10 (2.90) – 34.5%
- AWAY: 5/2 (3.50) – 28.6%
*odds from Ladbrokes, subject to change
Despite starting the competition as one of the favourites to win AFCON, Egypt’s performances in the tournament have left a lot to be desired. As a result, they enter this fixture with a measly 28.6% chance of winning. The fact that a draw has a 34.5% of happening tells the whole story. Senegal, according to Ladbrokes, have a 48.85 chance of winning this game, which is why they have the least odds on offer.
We have more free betting tips for today to help you out with the best possible selections.
Most recent H2Hs: Lions can not be tamed
Egypt will feel as if they have a score to settle after Senegal beat them in their most recent meeting, which was a crucial 2022 World Cup qualifier playoff. After the Lions of Teranga won the game to level matters on aggregate, they went on to win on penalties and dumped Egypt out of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Senegal won three of the last five clashes, not considering their penalty win in the AFCON 2021 final.
Africa - World Cup Qualifying 29/03/22
Senegal
Egypt
Africa - World Cup Qualifying 25/03/22
Egypt
Senegal
Africa Cup of Nations 06/02/22
Senegal
Egypt
Senegal preview: Fully-fit squad for Thiaw
The 2021 AFCON champions do not have any injury concerns or suspensions, increasing the likelihood of a victory for them. With star players in every position, the Lions of Teranga will be looking forward to making it to the final two for another edition of this competition.
Predicted lineup: Mendy; Diatta, Koulibaly, Niakhate, Diouf; Diarra, I.Gueye, P.Gueye; Ndiaye, Jackson, Mane
Last five matches
- Mali 0-1 Senegal
- Senegal 3-1 Sudan
- Benin 0-3 Senegal
- Senegal 1-1 DR Congo
- Senegal 3-0 Botswana
Egypt preview: Mohamed Hamdi out injured
The Pharaohs will be without the defender, who is nursing a knee injury. His replacement, Ahmed Fatouh, did not fare well in the quarter-final, after scoring an own-goal. Nonetheless, Egypt will look to the talisman Mo Salah for inspiration and Omar Marmoush as the two Premier League-based players lead the attack for the seven-time champions.
Predicted lineup: El Shenawy; Hany, Ibrahim, Rabia, Fatouh; Attia, Fathi, Adel; Salah, Marmoush, Trezeguet
Last five matches
- Egypt 3-2 Cote d’Ivoire
- Egypt 3-1 Benin
- Angola 0-0 Egypt
- Egypt 1-0 South Africa
- Egypt 2-1 Zimbabwe
Player to watch: Sadio Mane
The former Liverpool man has been an integral part of the Senegalese setup, not only in a playing capacity, but also from a leadership perspective.
Mane has not been scoring as much as he would like at this AFCON, but he has notched up three assists for his teammates, second in the entire tournament only to Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman.
If Senegal are to overcome this Egyptian side, Mane will certainly have a role to play on Wednesday.