Africa Cup of Nations: Senegal and Kenya Shootout

Senegal vs Kenya

We’re into the final group games at the Africa Cup of Nations and one of the big guns is at risk, as Senegal still needs a result to guarantee progress.

Kenya against Senegal at the June Stadium in Cairo on Monday is going to be a pivotal game for both teams. After two matches in Group C Senegal and Kenya are locked on three points though the Lions of Teranga have the better goal difference. And now they will hope to see off Kenya to move into the knockout phase in good shape.

An unlikely Kenya win, particularly if it means Senegal making an early exit would be big AFCON 2019 news indeed. And over 90 minutes that’s by no means out of the question.

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2019 Africa Cup of Nations

Talking Points

Senegal’s Stars under pressure

With a side brimming with talent Senegal was right in the mix in the pre-tournament AFCON 2019 betting odds and they can still go deep into the competition if they can hold their nerve against Kenya.

The Lions of Teranga started the tournament well enough, with a comfortable win overt Tanzania but they were out-thought and out-fought in a 1-0 defeat to Algeria, which ended a seven match winning sequence and put a whole lot more pressure on this match.

The Senegal players should be able to cope, the entire squad plays in Europe, some in the biggest clubs in the biggest leagues. Liverpool’s Sadio Mane was suspended for the opener and didn’t look his usual razor-sharp self against Algeria, but he’s bound to be a threat again on Monday. Their two Serie A stars, Inter Milan’s Keita Balde and Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly are men for the big occasion, and head coach Aliou Cisse is keeping his cool, playing down his talented team’s title chances, saying: “They have talked about Senegal being favourites for years. If I had the recipe for winning the tournament, I wouldn’t tell anyone what it was. To play at the Africa Cup of Nations is complicated, the conditions are difficult, the matches are tough… you have to be ready to suffer.

“This generation of 2019 is an extraordinary one with very good players, but that does not mean we are favourites. The favourites are the teams who have won the competition before.”

Fair enough; but I think anything other than success for Senegal on Monday would be a disaster. Cisse has just one absentee, with Salif Sane still sidelined having picked up an injury in the Tanzania game.

Michael’s on form for Kenya

Kenya kept their qualification hopes alive with an impressive comeback in a 3-2 win over Tanzania, as Michael Olunga became the first Tusks player to score two goals in an Africa Cup of Nations game. He hit a spectacular equaliser and grabbed his second with ten minutes remaining to win the points and give Kenya a real chance of making the knockout phase.

Michael Olunga hopes to replicate his performance against Tanzania when they face Senegal in Africa Cup of Nations — Michael Olunga is a player to watch after scoring a brace against Tanzania

Head coach Sebastien Migne knows his side possesses plenty of fight, but can be undone by quality as Algeria proved in a 2-0 win. Migne has a selection problem in the shape of attacking midfielder Francis Kahata. The normally influential player was badly off the pace against Tanzania and was substituted in the first half.

History

There isn’t much to go on in the head-to-heads as these two teams have only met once, in January 2004, when the Lions of Teranga ran out 3-0 winners.

Senegal won seven on the bounce before drawing a blank against Algeria, but will expect to get back to winning ways.

The Tusks have their tails up though; they have won two of their last three games in the Africa Cup of Nations, after winning none of their previous 13, and in the last six games have registered three victories.

Betting Tip

	Senegal vs Kenya	Senegal Asian Handicap -1.25 @ 2.14
	July 2, 03:00 (GMT+8)

Whatever Cisse says, Senegal was highly fancied as a potential cup winner before the tournament began, but now he can only guarantee progressing through to the knockout phase by avoiding defeat to the Tusks.

The loser may still make the Round of 16 as one of the best third-placed teams, and while Migne might be happy to take that chance Cisse certainly won’t be.

The latest odds here at SBOBET have Kenya at 1.71 with that +1.25 goal start and I have no doubt, buoyed by a win over Tanzania, that the underdogs will fight hard and Senegal can’t afford to misfire again.

An early goal will settle the Lions of Teranga but with the first half 1×2 draw in at odds of 2.06, and Senegal at 2.10 to score and be ahead before the break, it’s a toss of a coin whether they can be in front before the second half.

I think they will get the goal they need and can see a relatively comfortable passage; with 2-0 the most likely score at odds of 4.80.