Ghana vs Benin Predictions

Will this be the year when Ghana end their wait for glory? They haven’t won the Africa Cup of Nations since their fourth success in 1982. They’ve been incredibly successful throughout their time in this competition, but they’ve been nearly men on so many occasions. They’ve reached the semis at the last six tournaments dating back to 2008 when they were the hosts. Two final defeats, a third-place finish and three fourth-place finishes have followed. Can Ghana turn things around in 2019?

The Ghanaians head to Egypt full of hope. Their record alone makes them contenders to reach the latter stages, while they have talented players who can make the difference. The Ayew brothers remain a major influence on the side, while Thomas Partey in midfield is a highly rated box to box player. Many of their stars are hitting their prime, with Christian Atsu, the Ayews and Jonathan Mensah all hitting their late 20s. Will that blend of experience and talent take them all the way?

Meanwhile, Benin have made this tournament despite facing Algeria and Togo in qualifying. However, they booked their place with three home wins, while they took one point on the road and scored only one goal. Benin aren’t the biggest side at the tournament, while they are clearly a team who could struggle to adapt to playing in Egypt. They’ve warmed up with back to back friendly victories, while there are no names which jump out from their squad.

Ghana are worthy favourites to win this clash, as they are shaping up to be a side to watch at the tournament. While issues around Asamoah Gyan’s attitude could hit them down the line, it’s a happy camp at this early stage. They made it through their group by winning to nil in all but one of their games, while they have kept three straight clean sheets heading into this clash.

We see Benin struggling to adapt here, especially given their record at this tournament. They’ve qualified on three previous occasions for the 16-team tournament – ranking 16th, 15th and 14th overall in terms of their results. Benin have lost eight of their nine matches at this competition in the past, so we see value in backing the perennial contenders to claim a victory.