Morocco v Comoros Bet Builder Stats & Predictions
Morocco v Comoros
Kick Off: 19:00, Sunday 21st December
Competition: African Cup of Nations
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Host nation Morocco kick off the Africa Cup of Nations against Comoros. Walid Regragui’s side are the bookmakers’ favourites to win the competitio,n but AFCON rarely pans out as the pre-tournament odds expect it to. Morocco are clear favourites here and have an abundance of quality, particularly in the final third, which is likely to be the point of difference between the two sides here.
Match Stats: Morocco clear favourites
There isn’t much value in backing Morocco to win here with the hosts priced as low as 1.14 in places to claim a victory in this opening game. That being said, Morocco to score 2+ goals is more appealing priced at 1.30 for a bet builder selection, with 3+ goals for Morocco available at 1.90.
Walid Regragui is a cult hero in Morocco after guiding the nation to the semi-finals of the most recent World Cup – becoming the first ever African side to venture that far into a World Cup. He’s now eyeing up AFCON success with that trophy eluding Morocco over recent editions, their last success came in the 2020 tournament, and they also won AFCON when it was last held in Morocco, back in 2018.
Morocco have only lost seven of their 40 games under the stewardship of Regragui, and he is one of the few African managers who have retained consistency with this being his third year in charge of the national side. Morocco’s recent run at the World Cup lifted them to 11th in the FIFA rankings, and they have some quality players.
They’ve recently managed to acquire the services of Brahim Diaz and Chemsdine Talbi – adding extra firepower to a frontline which already has players like Youssef En-Nesyri and Ayoub El Kaabi. This extra depth in the final third sets them apart from the other nations in the tournament and explains why they’re heavy favourites to win the trophy.
Predictions –
Over 1.5 Morocco Goals @ 1.30
Over 2.5 Morocco Goals @ 1.90
Morocco to Win to Nil @ 1.53
Card Stats: Comoros could end up with a healthy card count
Morocco progressed from their group in the last edition of AFCON with relative ease, winning two and drawing one of their matches against Tanzania, DR Congo and Zambia. We can expect Morocco to be just as dominant in their group this time around, and they notably drew five cards from Tanzania in their opening game, which was a similar mismatch to the clash here.
Comoros managed to avoid defeat across their six matches in qualifying for AFCON, suggesting that they may offer a stubborn resolve in the early stages of the game. I think the underdogs will struggle in the middle of the park, with Morocco having so many technical players in that region.
Predictions –
Over 1.5 Comoros Cards @ 1.44
Over 2.5 Comoros Cards @ 2.3
Comoros to be Shown the Most Cards @ 2.1
Shot Stats: Morocco blessed with an abundance of talent in midfield
Morocco definitely have the strongest squad on paper at AFCON, with their attacking midfield options particularly standing out:
Bilal El Khannouss
Brahim Diaz
Ismael Saibari
Eliesse Ben Seghir
These players are all playing at an elite level in Europe and can settle into the tournament during the group stage with Morocco taking on Comoros, Mali and Zambia in a group that they are expected to top pretty comfortably. It’ll be interesting to see how these players adapt to the environment and pressure of AFCON, which is a very unique tournament for its mid-season schedule.
I’d expect Brahim Diaz to be the standout player and the preferred option from this list, but Saibari is worth keeping an eye on as well – he’s enjoyed an excellent season for PSV with 13 goal contributions across his 16 appearances in the Eredivisie, while averaging 3.69 shots per 90.
Predictions –
Brahim Diaz to Score @ 2.60
Ismael Saibari to have 1+ Shots onTarget @ 1.30
Ismael Saibari to have 3+ Shots @ 1.50
By: @AndysBetClubUK
Featured Image: @GabFoligno / Denis Doyle / Getty Images
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