2025 AFCON: Egypt Aims to Secure a Perfect Group Stage

by Tyler Doty

image 2025 AFCON: Egypt Aims to Secure a Perfect Group Stage
Egypt has performed well so far, but there is still room for improvement. Mo Salah and co will look to perfect their form ahead of the knockout rounds. With lots of room for improvement, Egypt is well aware that they still aren't the favorites in this tournament.

Egypt Looking to Make It 3-0

The Africa Cup of Nations is currently underway in Morocco, and Egypt is one of the top contenders. Led by superstar Mo Salah, Egypt has already secured a place in the round of 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations. The 33-year-old Liverpool star scored the decisive goal for Egypt in the 1-0 (1-0) win against South Africa with a penalty kick in the 45th minute. With six points after two games in the tournament in Morocco, Egypt has already secured first place in Group B. No matter what happens against Angola, they're clear to the knockout stage.

That being said, there's still a lot for Egypt to take away from this matchup. Angola has only one point to its name after a 1-1 draw with Zimbabwe, but is considered a team that can cause problems even for bigger opponents. It will be important for Egypt to see how they perform against such a threat. In addition, despite the six points, the Pharaohs' form has not been outstanding. 

The Egyptians are the clear favorites going into this game. The recent past speaks in Egypt's favor: in the World Cup qualifiers four years ago, they beat Angola 1-0 in Cairo before drawing 2-2 in Luanda, after which the two teams did not meet again. In general, an Egyptian victory is certainly realistic, but the sportsbooks are not expecting many goals when you look at the odds. No wonder, since the Africa Cup of Nations has so far been a tournament low on goals.

Angola Looking to Put On a Show

The Angolans want to try to maintain dignity in this match and, above all, improve their own stats in this tournament. Curiously, the books do not have such low expectations of this team, despite their performance so far. This likely says a bit about Egypt as there have been signs of weakness from the North African side. A factor we of course considered when making our Angola vs Egypt prediction.

Angola does not have any absolute top stars. David Carmo is a well-known player who currently plays for Real Oviedo. Then there is Clinton Mata from Olympique Lyon and M'Bala Nzola, who plays for Pisa in Italy. However, individually, it is not one of the best teams. Egypt, on the other hand, has two top stars in Salah and Marmoush and also has slight advantages in terms of depth. 

However, that does not mean that Angola has no chance. Coach Patrick Beaumelle has managed to give this team a really good structure on the pitch. He is considered someone who is able to influence the game and make tactical adjustments even during a match.

Best Bets for Angola vs. Egypt

As mentioned, a moneyline pick for this matchup doesn't make sense given the short odds. The tournament so far has also shown that when betting on AFCON, it's best to avoid betting on the over due to the goal drought so far this year. 

If you don't want to bet on an Egypt win, it's worth looking at the double chance market. An under 2.5 goals can also be very interesting, as can a bet on “both teams to score: no.” And even in parlay, with an under 3.5 goals bet thrown in, there great odds at the top sportbooks. An anytime goalscorer bet could also be an interesting leg to add, given that Mo Salah scored in both of Egypt's games so far.