Our prediction for this Africa Cup of Nations 2024 match:
Senegal
Match Time & Date:
04/06/2022
03:00 PM
Prediction: 2-0
Benin
Senegal will look to kick off their World Cup qualifying campaign when they take on Benin in the opening match of their Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign. The Lions of Teranga are enjoying a year to remember, with the team winning the Africa Cup of Nations, while making it to the World Cup finals, and, no doubt, they are high on spirits ahead of the visit of Benin.
A man to keep an eye on in the home team will be Sadio Mane, who played for Liverpool in a 1-0 loss to Liverpool in the Champions League final. The Squirrels, on the other hand, missed out on a spot at the showpiece tournament in Qatar, with the team finishing the process only one point behind group winners D.R. Congo. Anyhow, we are tempted to put our money on Senegal, who are a real force to be reckoned with at home.
Highlighted Player (Sadio Mané):
Sadio Mane is a Senegalese footballer who plays for Liverpool as a winger. Mane was born in Sedhiou Senegal on April 10, 1992, but he made his senior debut at French club Metz. In 2012 he moved to Red Bull Salzburg, with the pacey winger scoring 31 goals in 63 appearances for the club in the Austrian Bundesliga.
Mane then decided to take a step forward in his career as he joined famous Premier League club Liverpool for a fee of £34 million, signing a five-year contract with the Reds. The Senegal international quickly established himself as a first-team regular at Liverpool and, no doubt, he helped the Anfield outfit make it to the 2017/2018 Champions League final.
Speaking of trophies, Sadio Mane won the Austrian Bundesliga with Salzburg in the 2013/2014 season. In 2017 he was named Liverpool player of the year for the 2016/2017 season. Sadio Mane made his Senegal debut in 2012 and he was part of the Senegal team that participated at the 2012 Olympic tournament.
Highlighted Team (Benin):
Benin are the African football team that were known as Dahomey national football team until 1975. The Squirrels have never qualified for the FIFA World Cup finals, but they will compete for the fourth time at the Africa Cup of Nations at the tournament in Egypt 2019.
Oumar Tchomogo’s team were grouped with the likes of Ghana, Guinea-Bissau and Cameroon in the group stages of the competition. Benin’s home kit is predominantly yellow, whilst they wear green shirts, green shorts and red socks when playing on the travels. The African side recorded their biggest win on December 27, 1961, with the team beating Mauritania 7-0 under the name of Dahomey.
Two years earlier, though, they were crushed by Nigeria 10-1, which is considered their biggest ever loss on the international stage. Benin usually host their rivals at Stade de l’Amitie, the venue with the capacity of 20,000. The Squirrels played their first ever international game on November 8, 1959, with the team suffering a 1-0 loss to Nigeria.
