Benin welcome Botswana in a crucial match after both teams lost in the first round. The likelihood of early elimination will increase significantly for the team that loses this match.
It is difficult to blame Benin or Botswana for their early losses. After all, they were drawn in a group with two of the strongest national teams on the continent, both of which are former champions of the tournament. Senegal, in particular, won it just four years ago.
Benin did not play too badly in general, but they lacked the precision and accuracy needed to score a goal. What is worse is that this was the team's third consecutive loss, and they failed to score a goal in any of these matches.
Another interesting fact is that Benin has never won in regular time in the Africa Cup of Nations. This is the country's fifth appearance in the competition, and so far they have 5 draws and 10 losses.
Botswana had even more problems in the first round, facing Senegal, who are 19th in the FIFA world rankings. There is literally nothing positive to say about the team, which has lost five of its last six matches and achieved only one official victory in 2025.
The difference in class with Senegal was huge, with Botswana finishing the game with 0.17 xG and not a single shot on target.
How the bookies view it: Benin to turn things around
Bookmakers did not find much value in backing Botswana and are once again offering fairly high odds for a win. However, the difference is not as scandalous as in their match against Senegal, so you can still find value if you want to back Benin.
At the moment, Benin are available at 7/10, the draw at 12/5 and Botswana at 17/4.
Recent head-to-head: A new rivalry on the continent
Curiously, Benin and Botswana have never met in a football match since both nations gained independence in the 1960s. This clash will mark the beginning of a new rivalry.
Players to watch: Phoko to single-handedly stop Botswana
With both teams struggling in front of the goal, we’d rather not suggest backing any of their better-known goalscorers. Instead, we have to highlight Botswana’s Goitseone Phoko.
The 31-year-old goalkeeper had an unbelievable performance against Senegal, despite the three goals he conceded. Botswana’s abysmal performance led to a new AFCON record of 17 shots on target by Senegal. This means Phoko made 14 saves in 90 minutes.
Most major stat tracking websites gave him a 10.0 rating and Betano have a good offer of 7/10 for him to make 3+ saves against Benin, who are also the better team on paper.
Probable line-ups
Benin: Allagbe, Moumini, Verdon, Roche, Ouorou, D’almeida, Imourane, Aloko, Dodo, Dossou, Tosin
Botswana: Phoko, Velaphi, Gaolaolwe, Ditlhokwe, Johnson, Ditsele, Seekanyeng, Mohutsiwa, Cooper, Orebonye, Kebatho
Anything else catch the eye?
The stats are against Botswana and we plan to back Benin to end their winless streak on Saturday. The odds are phenomenal for this type of match and the visitors look like a team that’s not supposed to be at this competition.
However, we also anticipate some goals in this fixture, as five of Botswana’s recent seven outings produced 3+ goals. Whether you back an Over or Benin to score 2+ goals, we like the odds.
When a price looks too good to ignore, that’s value. Learn how to identify it with our Value Betting guide.
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