Mauritania vs Angola Predictions

Will Mauritania be knocked out of the Africa Cup of Nations with a game to spare? They are in danger of an early exit, following their 4-1 loss to Mali in their opening clash. They are going up against Angola in their second game on Saturday, which could be another tricky outing. After qualifying in impressive fashion, their first visit to this tournament could be over before it even really begins. Will Mauritania keep themselves competitive, or are they going to lose out once again?

The underdogs were able to pull off a huge win over Burkina Faso in qualifying, the side who finished third at this tournament in 2017. However, that big win did come at home. That’s where their big wins have come from, they’ve made the most of their home surroundings to cause problems for opponents. Now they’re in Egypt aiming for results on neutral ground, which has proven to be a tough test for them so far. Their good home form included a 1-0 win over Angola, who they faced in qualifying.

As expected, Mauritania had a tough time in the reverse clash with Angola, losing 4-1 on the road. Angola also managed to see off Burkina Faso, they helped to dump the bronze medalists out of the competition before it even began. Angola qualified after winning four of their last five matches, while they kicked things off in Egypt with a 1-1 draw with Tunisia. That’s set them up for the next round, as long as they can win this clash.

Angola arrive in their second game of the group as the favourites for the points. With Mali to come next, this is by far Angola’s most winnable match. They have built up some great form going into it, having won five of their six games before holding Tunisia to a draw. That’s set up the Palancas Negras as the favourites for this encounter on Saturday.

Not only have Mauritania lost three of their last four, but they’ve also been beaten in their last seven away games. That run highlights their huge issues on the road, while we expect them to struggle when they face off with Angola. After a spirited start, they should follow up with three points in this clash. We’re backing Angola for another success over Mauritania, so an Angolan victory is our betting tip here.