DR Congo set to march on

 

On the second day of Group B action, James Eastham expects the tournament dark horses to continue to impress....

 

Ghana v Mali (Thu)

Live on British Eurosport, 15:00 GMT, Match Odds: Ghana 2.16, Mali 3.9, The Draw 3.35

 

Ghana's campaign started with a 2-2 draw against DR Congo last Sunday. It was a disappointing result for the tournament second favourites as they had led 2-0 after 50 minutes.

 

The vulnerability that saw Ghana pegged back will give Mali hope they can add to the three points they collected by beating Niger 1-0 in their opening game. The winner, from Seydou Keita, came six minutes from time but Mali were good value for the win: they had the better chances and a lot more possession than Niger.

 

Having seen those two games and compared the sides on paper I was surprised to see Ghana as short as 2.16 to win. Favourites, maybe, but the difference in quality between the sides seems smaller than the market suggests. For that reason I would recommend laying Ghana, or backing Mali with some sort of Asian Handicap start.

 

The other market to consider is Both Teams to Score. Ghana's attacking quality and defensive vulnerability suggest there will be chances at both ends. Mali's defence looked far from watertight against Niger but they have some good goalscorers.

 

'Yes' in Both Teams to Score is my second selection.

 

Niger v DR Congo (Thu)

Live on British Eurosport & ITV4, 18:00 GMT, Match Odds: Niger 5.4, DR Congo 1.83, The Draw 3.6

 

Before the tournament began many tipped DR Congo to be the tournament surprise package. By coming from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 against Ghana in their opening match ,Claude Le Roy's side showed they have the potential to reach the knock-out phase.

 

The same cannot be said for Niger, at least on what they produced in their opening game against Mali. They lost 1-0 and, despite the occasional scoring opportunity, were on the back foot for most of the game. They came within six minutes of earning a point but could have no complaints about the result.

 

The momentum is with DR Congo going into this match and I would make them firm favourites to win. The players will be confident after that terrific opening result against Ghana and know that a win here would put them in an excellent position going into their final group game against Mali.

 

I'm willing to back Le Roy's team at 1.83. There have been few odds-on winners at the tournament so far but DR Congo are good enough to buck the trend.

 

Recommended Bets

Best Bet: Mali +0&+0.5 Asian Handicap v Ghana @ 2.05

Ghana v Mali Both Teams to Score @ 2.1

DR Congo to beat Niger @ 1.83

 

Bet HERE

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