Africa Cup of Nations: Burkina Faso v Angola Odds and Betting Preview

MALABO, EQUATORIAL GUINEA - Burkina Faso, one of the most impressive sides in qualifying, begin their Africa Cup of Nations campaign against Angola in Malabo tonight.

The Stallions will be keen to get three points on the board before taking on tournament favourites Ivory Coast next week, but 2010 quarter-finalists Angola are going to be a tough side to break down. Burkina Faso are the favourites to win the Group B match at 13/8 with BetVictor and Paddy Power, with a draw on offer at 11/5 with Stan James. Stan James are obviously keen on Burkina Faso winning the game, as they are also best-priced about an Angola win at 9/4.

Paulo Duarte is a relatively inexperienced coach, but he has plenty of firepower at his disposal in one of the most talented Burkina Faso sides seen in recent years. The Stallions are 28/1 shots with bet365 to win the tournament, which would be the first one in their history. Burkina Faso are currently 66th in the FIFA world rankings, but many pundits would argue that they have the players capable of upsetting some of the favourites. Alain Traoré had a stunning start to the Ligue 1 campaign with his club Auxerre, scoring goals for fun from range, and must be one of the most exciting players to grace the tournament. Chelsea youngster Bertrand Traoré is another interesting inclusion in the squad, amongst the more established players like Marseille’s Charles Kaboré and Al-Khor’s goalscorer Moumouni Dagano.

Angola came to the world’s attention recently when they unexpectedly qualified for the 2006 World Cup, when José Mourinho helped to pick the side. Angola did well, only losing one game to Portugal in the group stage, but now most people remember them for throwing away a four-goal lead against Mali in the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations in the final 11 minutes of the game, in what has gone down as one of the biggest in-running betting shocks of all time. Coach Lito Vidigal will be hoping that history does not repeat itself tonight when the Sable Antelopes take on Burkina Faso. A win would be a fantastic way to get the tournament under-way for Angola, and the player to watch out for is former Manchester United striker Manucho, who has plenty of critics to answer.

The preferred scoreline in the correct score betting is a 1-1 draw at 11/2 with Coral and William Hill, which reflects the opinion that bookies are expecting a tense affair in Malabo. 1-0 to Burkina Faso can be backed at 6/1 with William Hill, although the 11/2 with bet365 looks better as they will refund losing stakes if the game finishes goal-less, which is always a possibility in a game of this nature. 2-1 to the Stallions makes a bit of appeal at 10/1 with Boylesports, and punters expecting a thriller can try a 2-2 draw at 20/1 with the same firm.

The first goalscorer market looks fairly open, with marginal preference for Dagano at 6/1 with Paddy Power and bet365. Dagano has 23 goals in 51 starts for his country and is likely to be partnered by 12/1 shot Bancé. Alain Traoré would be our pick at 9/1 with BetVictor, even if he does play behind the two strikers and his club form has recently tailed off. Traoré has already attracted the attentions of Premier League clubs this season and will be eager to make a name for himself in a season where Auxerre could be relegated for the first time in their history. Rennes player Jonathan Pitroipa is also of interest at 20/1 with Ladbrokes, whilst Angola will be looking towards Manucho for inspiration at 7/1 with Sky Bet to net first.

In the half-time/full-time betting Burkina Faso/Burkina Faso is the favourite at 7/2 with William Hill and it is 8/5 with bet365 for over 2.5 goals.

The match kicks-off at 8.00pm local time on Sunday 22 January, which is 7.00pm for UK-based punters. It is live on British Eurosport 2.

Burkina Faso v Angola Match Odds

Burkina Faso v Angola First Goalscorer Odds

Burkina Faso v Angola Correct Score Odds