Cameroon face Guinea in what is shaping up as one of the most fascinating games on matchday 1 of AFCON 2023. Siphesihle Soni previews.
AFCON 2023
Match 6 – Cameroon v Guinea
Monday 15 January 2024 | 19:00
Cameroon have appointed legend Samuel Eto’o as head of their football federation. The all-time leading AFCON goalscorer has shaken things up since being appointed and is not afraid to make the big decisions. Only time will tell if his on-pitch heroics will work off it! For now, his nation faces a tough encounter against a talented Guinea outfit.
To Win Match
Cameroon 21/20 | Draw 17/10 | Guinea 28/10
The Indomitable Lions will kickstart their Africa Cup of Nations journey against Guinea on Monday 15 January. Cameroon is in group C with the defending champions Senegal as well as West African minnows Gambia.
They are undoubtedly the stronger side in this clash and are expected to come out guns blazing in a bid to qualify top of the group.
Besiktas’ striker Vincent Aboubakar, who impressed in the 2022 World Cup scoring two goals and providing an assist, will lead the line for Cameroon and is expected to be their biggest goal threat.
Manchester United goalkeeper, Andre Onana who will be playing for for his club on the 14 January against Tottenham is expected to fly to Ivory Coast and join Cameroon straight after the game. He is, however, unlikely to feature here.
Guinea, on the other hand, are the dark horses in the group and the tournament at large. Coach Kaba Diawara has assembled a strong squad boasting of Le Havre striker Mohamed Bayo, Leipzig midfielder Ilaix Moriba, and Werder Bremen Naby Keita who also captains the side.
Red-hot Stuttgart striker Serhou Guirassy has been on fire this season scoring 17 goals in 14 Bundesliga matches which is the second highest in the Bundesliga behind Harry Kane. He is the man that the Syli Nationals will rely on for their goals.
They are coming to this match highly motivated after defeating the African giants Nigeria 2-0 in a friendly match and will be aiming to sink another West African giant on Monday.
Head-to-head stats show that Guinea has been getting the better of Cameroon lately, their past two matches have been in favour of the Guineans, they managed to get a resounding 2-0 victory in their last clash and their meeting before that ended 2-1 in favour of Guinea.
Verdict: Draw 17/10
Both sides possess strong squads with bang in-form players who are expected to give it their all to ensure that they qualify ahead of the defending champions Senegal. Cameroon has achieved two wins, suffered two losses and played one draw in their last five matches. While Guinea has managed three victories, one loss and a draw in their last five matches. I simply can’t split these two.
