2012 Africa Cup of Nations Semi-Final: Zambia v Ghana Odds and Betting Preview

BATA, EQUATORIAL GUINEA - Zambia take on Ghana in the first of the two Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals in Bata this evening, hoping to go one better than in 1994 where they finished runners-up in the competition.

Goran Stevanović’s Ghana side have been installed as the favourites by William Hill at 21/20 (bet £20 to win £21 profit) to win the semi in 90 minutes, but they have been weak in the pre-match betting. A draw would send the game into extra-time at 9/4 with bwin, whereas a Zambia win has been supported into odds of 15/4 with Stan James, having been available at 5/1 when betting first opened up.

Ghana needed extra-time to see of the challenge of Tunisia in their quarter-final last Sunday in Franceville, and many pundits forecast that the Black Stars will face the Ivory Coast in the tournament final this weekend, although Zambia have already proved their worth against the top sides like Senegal. Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien has not made the trip to play for his national side, but Ghana still boast the likes of Sulley Muntari, André Ayew and Asamoah Gyan in their squad. Gyan is not at his best, but is still likely to prove influential tonight. Ghana have had to fly to Equatorial Guinea for the semi, and have had a day less than their opponents Zambia to prepare for the showdown. 

Zambia have played with plenty of heart in the tournament, and it would be fantastic to see them go all the way and honour the dreadful air disaster of 1993, in which 18 players were tragically killed. Punters who think they can see off Ghana tonight and then win the final in Gabon this Sunday, where the plane crashed, can take odds of 9/1 with bet365 and Sky Bet that they win the tournament. The Copper Bullets caused a stunning upset to beat the well-backed Senegal in the second match of the tournament, and have also beaten the co-hosts Equatorial Guinea before strolling to a 3-0 success over Sudan in their quarter-final. Ghana are going to be a tough nut to crack, but anything is possible if strikers Emmanuel Mayuka and Christopher Katongo play to their best tonight.

In the correct score market, a 1-0 win for Ghana heads the betting at 5/1 with Coral and Blue Square, who are clearly expecting a tight semi-final. For those punters who are struggling to pick a winner, odds of 6/1 with William Hill about a 1-1 draw look very reasonable. 1-0 to Zambia is a stand-out 10/1 with Stan James, who clearly are not fussed that the Zambians have not had to travel for the semi-final, as they are also tops on 2-0 at 25/1. 2-0 and 2-1 wins for Ghana can be backed at 6/1 and 9/1 respectively with high-street bookie Ladbrokes, and a thrilling 2-2 draw is at 22/1 with William Hill and Boylesports.

Plenty will be having a bet on the first goalscorer tonight, and the favourite is Asamoah Gyan at 5/1 with Ladbrokes. Gyan is one of the star names in the tournament, although he has only scored one goal thus far, and that was against Mali. Jordan Ayew is 7/1 with Sporting Bet for the Black Stars, but he is not certain to start. His brother and Marseille team-mate André Ayew is as big as 10/1 with bet365 to score the first goal of the game, and could be a safer wager than the partly-injured Gyan. Zambia do not have any ‘stars’ in their side, but the one to look out for once again is Katongo, who makes appeal at 11/1 with Paddy Power.

Punters looking for bigger odds on a Ghana triumph can try Ghana/Ghana in the half-time/full-time betting at 12/5 with Coral, but the money has been for Draw/Zambia at 8/1 with 32red and has been punted across the board.

In other markets, Gyan is 8/1 with Paddy Power to score two or more goals in the game and it is 13/10 with William Hill that both teams score in the semi-final. Sporting Bet offer 9/2 that the match is decided on penalties and Zambia are 11/1 with Sky Bet to score in the first 10 minutes.

Ghana v Zambia kicks-off at 5.00pm local time on Wednesday 8 February, which is 4.00pm in the UK. It will be screened live on ITV4.

Zambia v Ghana Match Odds

Zambia v Ghana First Goalscorer Odds

Zambia v Ghana HT/FT Odds

Zambia v Ghana Asian Handicap Odds