Senegal face Algeria on Thursday in a top of the table clash in Group C.
Both teams won their opening match with a 2-0 score line and a win for either side would see them take control of the group.
Senegal beat Tanzania in their first match and Algeria secured a win against Kenya. The opening victories mean that Senegal and Algeria are level with 3 points and a +2 goal difference at the top of Group C.
Senegal had 24 shots in their tournament opener whilst Tanzania failed to register a single attempt on target. They will be happy with the win but could have scored more goals considering their superiority.
Keita Balde gave Senegal the lead after 28 minutes before Krepin Diatta wrapped up the victory with a stunning long-range effort.
Senegal had 64% of the possession in their last match and completed nearly twice as many passes as Tanzania in a totally dominant display.
Algeria’s opening win was also relatively comfortable. They also didn’t concede a single shot on target and dominated the possession throughout.
They took the lead through Baghdad Bounedjah who cooly converted a penalty in the 34th minute. Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez scored Algeria’s second just before half-time to secure the win.
Senegal were without their star striker Sadio Mane for their opening match but he will be back to face Algeria on Thursday.
Focus sur les prochains défis avec le 🇸🇳 ! Jeudi, on défie l'Algérie ! 🏆 #CAN2019 pic.twitter.com/aEuziljXAM— Moussa Wagué (@Moussa_WagueOff) June 24, 2019
Focus sur les prochains défis avec le 🇸🇳 ! Jeudi, on défie l'Algérie ! 🏆 #CAN2019 pic.twitter.com/aEuziljXAM
The Liverpool forward was suspended after an accumulation of yellow cards in qualifying and will be keen to open his AFCON 2019 account.
The head-to-head record between these two sides heavily favors Algeria. They have beaten Senegal 12 times over the years whilst Senegal have only registered 4 wins.
With that being said, Senegal are now Africa’s top ranked side and sit 22nd in the FIFA World Rankings; 44 places ahead of Algeria. Despite this gap, it should be a fairly close encounter.
This is likely to be a cagey affair. The two teams are evenly matched and neither side will want to lose this match. They are both in a strong position already to qualify for the round of 16.
Forebet predicts a low scoring match, with Senegal claiming a narrow victory.