David Flower
Dailysports's expert
Botswana
Mauritania
One of the matches in the fifth round of the Africa Cup of Nations qualification will be played on Friday in Francistown, where Botswana will host Mauritania. I suggest a bet on the outcome of this match, with good chances for success.
Match Preview
The "Zebras" have struggled with consistency in the World Cup qualification campaign, alternating between victories and defeats. Last year, at home, Botswana lost 2-3 to Mozambique but managed to secure a 1-0 win over Guinea. This summer, they were beaten 0-1 by Uganda on the road, but bounced back with a 3-1 victory over Somalia. Currently, Botswana sits in third place, trailing the leaders by three points.
In the Africa Cup of Nations qualification, the "Zebras" had a disastrous start, losing both of their opening matches: 0-1 to Mauritania away and 0-4 at home to Egypt. However, they turned things around in October, securing two narrow 1-0 victories over Cape Verde, participants of the most recent Africa Cup of Nations. As a result, Botswana now sits in second place, six points behind Egypt, and three points ahead of Cape Verde.
Mauritania, despite not being one of the African football giants, showed a respectable level at the last Africa Cup of Nations. The team finished the group stage in third place, earning a spot among the best third-place teams, but in the knockout round, they faced a tough opponent in Cape Verde. In a hard-fought match, the Mauritanians lost narrowly, failing to advance further.
Their World Cup qualification campaign got off to a poor start, and after four rounds, they are bottom of Group B. In the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, Mauritania managed a home win over Botswana (1-0) but then suffered a 0-2 defeat away to Cape Verde. In October, Mauritania lost twice to Egypt, 0-2 away and 0-1 at home.
Probable Line-ups
- Botswana: Foko; Johnson, Ditlhokwe, Gaolaolwe, Velaffi; Boi, Ramotse, Mohutsiwa, Sikanyeng; Orebonyo, Baruti
- Mauritania: Niasse, Fofana, Diav, Houebib, Koita, Keita, Abdoulaye, Si, Ngom, Musin, Amar
Match Facts and Head-to-Head
- Mauritania has beaten Botswana in all three of their encounters
- The "Both teams to score" bet has hit only once in their three matches
- In the last 10 matches involving Mauritania, the "Both teams to score – No" bet has been successful
Prediction
Mauritania won at home, but Botswana has already proven they should not be underestimated, particularly after defeating Cape Verde. We believe that a "Botswana to win with a handicap (0)" bet at odds of 1.63 is a strong option.
