Home of football statistics and historyThe Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) kicks-off in Egypt on Friday with 24 teams dreaming of winning the prestigious tournament.
The hosts get the competition underway with a match against Zimbabwe and they will be keen to send out a message that they are the team to beat this summer.
However, there are a plethora of other sides who have genuine hopes of lifting the trophy in Cairo on July 19. Read on as we look at the main contenders to win the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.
Salah the key to Egypt’s hopes
Egypt are 9/2 favourites on the soccer betting lines at 888 Sport New Jersey to win their eighth AFCON title and they will be a popular pick with many punters.
They were defeated by Cameroon in the 2017 final and will undoubtedly be eager to go one better this time around.
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah is the key to their hopes, but if the opposing teams can keep him quiet Egypt could struggle to claim the trophy.
Senegal are on a roll
Senegal have lost just two of their last 20 matches in all competitions and are strongly fancied to go a long way at this summer’s tournament.
Aliou Cisse’s side have conceded just one goal in their last six outings and that defensive solidity should serve them well in Egypt.
Senegal wrapped up their preparations for the tournament with a 1-0 victory over Nigeria and they look a good bet at odds of 19/4 to win their first ever African Cup of Nations title.
Ghana could be dangerous
Ghana haven’t won the tournament since 1982, but their current squad looks capable of ending that drought.
Manager James Kwesi Appiah has yet to find a settled starting XI, but a run of one defeat in their last 10 matches suggest he is on the right path.
With the likes of Christian Atsu, Thomas Partey and Kwadwo Asamoah in their ranks, Ghana could be a tough nut to crack this summer.
Ivory Coast the best of the rest
Nigeria, Algeria, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Tunisia and Cameroon are all prominent in the outright betting and they each appear capable of mounting a serious challenge.
The Ivory Coast are perhaps the best of that bunch, with the likes of Wilfried Zaha, Nicolas Pepe, Maxwel Cornet and Wilfried Bony all capable of causing problems to opposition defenders.
They have lost just one of their last 11 matches in all competitions and could emerge as the biggest threat to Senegal’s hopes of claiming the trophy.
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