On Thursday night, Angola will look for what would be a vital victory in their quest for qualification for the African Cup of Nations as they welcome Madagascar in Group E of qualifying.
Angola form guideThe home side knows that a win would seal qualification for AFCON 2024. Group leaders Ghana hosts third-place Central African Republic, which means a win would seal qualification.
They start this game in second place in the group with a superior head-to-head record to the Central African Republic while also being a point ahead of their rivals. That means if their rivals suffer defeat in Ghana, then Angola can afford to suffer a loss in this clash.
Pedro Goncalves's team has not been in ultra-consistent form of late, but they have been difficult to beat, as they have lost just once in their last five outings in all competitions. They have also lost just once in their previous six AFCON qualifiers.
Madagascar form guideThe visitors have very much been the whipping boys of Group E, as they have failed to win any of their group matches while picking up just two points. Their recent international record, in general, isn’t great either, as they have lost three of their last five games.
Madagascar’s record in Group E isn’t a surprise, as they have now failed to win any of their previous nine matches in African Cup of Nations qualifying. One of the main causes of their poor qualifier results has been a lack of goals, as they have failed to score in six of their last seven games.
Unsurprisingly, considering their poor recent record in qualifying, Madagascar have been woeful on their travels in qualifiers, losing five of their last six while also conceding at least two goals in each of their previous six qualifiers on their travels.
What am I backing?Angola may not have been great of late, but I believe they will have enough to record a victory to seal their place at next year's African Cup of Nations.
