The debutants are in search of the biggest upset when they clash with the pride of the host nation. Cameroon play with the soil of the land beneath their feet, while the islanders have crossed the ocean and the land of Africa to participate in their first ever AFCON finals. Will the Indomitable Lions continue their free-scoring style, or can Comoros bring joy to a nation and upset the hosts?
Find out what the prediction is and get those slips ready for the business end of the AFCON 2021.
To Win
Cameroon 1/25 | Draw 13/1 | Comoros 33/1
Cameroon
The home nation has been in fine form, and even their final group-stage fixture which didn’t really go their way. The Indomitable Lions kicked off the tournament with a hard-fought win over Burkina Faso, followed by a real statement over Ethiopia, and finally ran out of a bit of steam when they drew 1-1 with Cape Verde.
Head coach Antonio da Silva Oliveira has made minor changes in each of their fixtures keeping a solid structure throughout. The defensive stronghold has held firm, for the most part, conceding just one goal a game with goalkeeper Andre Onana, centre-back Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui, both fullbacks Collins Fai and Nouhou Tolo being the staples. The glue that holds everything together for Cameroon is undoubtedly defensive midfielder Andre-Frank Anguissa and going forward the host nation has shown an unrelenting attack of Moumi Ngamaleu, Karl Toko Ekambi and Vincent Aboubaker who leads the chase for golden boot.
Finishing top of Group A was crucial and everyone backing Cameroon to go all the way couldn’t have asked for a better round-of-16 draw, set to face an inexperienced AFCON side in Comoros.
Comoros
A single win in their final match has put Comoros through to the round-of-16. Out of six groups, Comoros just edged the final qualifying berth on three points with three goals scored. They were always expecting a tough opponent, but drawing the host nation is a difficult position to be in.
A razor thin loss to Gabon, and tough pill to swallow against Morocco could have been a real confidence blow to the AFCON debutants. They showed character and resolve and were able to find a victory against African giants Ghana. They have shown they can stand up to a physical challenge, and their talent is clear for everyone to see.
If the uphill battle wasn’t enough, Comoros have reportedly been rocked with multiple Covid-19 cases in their cap, and preparation for the round of 16 clash will be in disarray. The head coach Amir Abdou and two of their three goalkeepers Moyadh Ousseni and Ali Ahmada are both big doubts after having contracted the virus, but their will be further testing set to take place. Even after being subbed off early (26th-minute) against Ghana, goalkeeper Salim Ben Boina will be hooked back into the fray.
The dreams of Comoros are big, and it’s not like they are unaware of the challenges and odds that lay before them.
Prediction: Cameroon win (1/25)
Cameroon are finding the net quite confidently this campaign and tactically they look strong going forward. The defence is vulnerable, and Comoros scoring three in their last matchup will leave the island nation confident that they can find the net themselves. It will be a tight affair, but the crowd of the hosts has proven motivation more than pressure and the Indomitable Lions are thriving. The betting is not worth a punt in any capacity with even anytime goal scorers priced short. The real risky bets are the play if you must and Multicores 2:1, 3:1, or 4:1 at 6/1 is value.
