Central African Republic vs Mauritania, H2H and probable lineups — August 9, 2025
On August 9, the third round of the African Nations Championship will feature a clash between the Central African Republic and Mauritania. The match is scheduled to kick off at 16:00 Central European Time. Read on for team news and a match prediction.
See also: Guinea vs Uganda prediction and betting tips 08 Аugust 2025
Match preview
The Central African Republic opened their African Nations Championship campaign with a surprisingly high-scoring encounter against Burkina Faso. However, the result was as expected: Burkina Faso came away with a 4-2 victory. The Central African side avoided a rout only by scoring in stoppage time, finding the net in the 95th minute.
Like most African teams, the Central African Republic plays a straightforward style, relying on minimal passing and vertical football to move the ball quickly upfield. Scoring two goals in their opening match shows that the tactic has its merits, but defensively the team still faces major issues. Out of six shots on target faced, they conceded four goals, leaving themselves with little hope of a positive outcome.
Mauritania has already played twice in the tournament: in their opener, Aritz Lopez’s side drew 0-0 with Madagascar, then narrowly lost 1-0 to Tanzania in their second outing. In both matches, Mauritania rarely threatened the opposition's goal, registering just six shots on target across the two games.
The team tries to impose their style of play, but against stronger opponents, they adapt and opt for a more direct, no-nonsense approach, avoiding risky situations near their own goal.
Probable lineups
Central African Republic: Ngarsouma, Kokpakpa-Boko, Basse, Namgbema, Ndokomandji, Mungide, Tchibinda, Yangao, Suango, Zumara, Kogbeto
Mauritania: Sarr, Meymid, El Abd, Denin, Zweide, Said, Diop, N'Diaye, El-Hassen, Teta, El Mokhtar
Match facts and head-to-head
- The teams have met three times: two wins for Mauritania and one for the Central African Republic
- Mauritania is winless in their last eight matches
- The Central African Republic has averaged less than a goal per game over their last ten matches
Prediction
Expect a low-scoring, tight affair, as Mauritania’s recent matches have shown. My prediction: total goals under 2 at 1.65 odds.
