African National Teams That Excelled in Afcon Round 1

Afcon 2021 has lived up to the hype as some of the biggest names in African football have graced the tournament, providing exciting play. Goals have been hard to come by as teams have placed a high premium on defense. Owing to the high intensity of the game, 9 of the first 12 games have been decided with a single goal separating the winning team from their opponent.

Based on the results of Round 1, there are some of the African national teams that have produced noteworthy performances and climbed their way higher on the Afcon qualifiers table:

Sierra Leone
Playing in Afcon after a 26-year gap, Sierra Leone impressed one and all as they managed to hold defending champions Algeria to a goalless draw. In the process, they shared points and announced their arrival in the competition. Mohamed Kamara, their 22-year-old goalkeeper appears to be a star in the making as he proved to be a wall against the Algerian attack.

Senegal
The Senegalese team were touted as pre-tournament favorites. Although they kept their fans at the edge of their seats with their thriller against Zimbabwe, they still appear to be one of the strongest contenders to go all the way.

Cameroon
The first game of the tournament set the tone as hosts Cameroon had to claw their way back from the jaws of defeat against Burkina Faso. Cameroon player Nouhou Tolo played a huge role in ensuring that his team got off to a winning start as he made crucial contributions at both ends of the pitch.

Nigeria
Despite several setbacks that included firing their coach and losing key players, Nigeria have been playing exceptionally well in their Afcon fixtures so far. They’ve won both of their games and are currently leading the group, ahead of 7-time Afcon winners, Egypt. They’ll be looking to bag the trophy in the home of one of their fiercest rivals.

So now that you know which teams made their mark in Afcon Round 1, how will this affect your betting strategy? Get your Afcon bet predictions in and place your bets now!