Introduction
The AFCON reigning champion, Senegal, will launch their 2023 edition of the tournament against The Gambia. The encounter marks the first meeting between Senegal and Gambia in this tournament.
Their last game was a qualifier match for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, with both legs ending in draws. Can Senegal kick off their title defense on a positive note, Let find out in this review.
About the game
This will be the 17th AFCON appearance for the Senegalese, with aspirations to achieve consecutive tournament victories. No team has achieved back-to-back AFCON Triumph since Egypt’s three-year winning streak from 2006 to 2010. Interestingly, no defending champion in the last six editions has advanced beyond the round of 16.
Senegal was once labeled underachievers, broke a 17-year wait for the AFCON title by beating Egypt in a penalty shootout two years ago. They cruised through qualifying Group B unbeaten, they will aim to replicate their success in this tournament. Some big names likely to line up for Senegal include Édouard Mendy, Sadio Mané, Kalidou Koulibaly, Idrissa Gueye, and Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea.
Despite being the smallest country in West Africa, Gambia was impressive in the last AFCON, reaching the quarter-finals in their first appearance at the competition. With an excellent youth development program, they secured their spot in AFCON 2023 and now face Senegal, eager to upset the defending champions.
A familiar name in The Gambia’s roaster includes Musa Barrow, a player directly involved in all four goals scored at the AFCON 2021. Other players to feature for the team include Lamin Sarr, Modou Jobe, Omar Colley, Jacob Mendy, Bubacarr Sanneh, and James Gomez.
The Best Betting Odds for Senegal vs Gambia
| Markets | Odds | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senegal win |
1.30 
|
1.34 
|
1.34 
|
1.295 
|
1.295 
|
|
| Draw |
4.60
|
4.50
|
4.9
|
4.9
|
4.9
|
|
| Gambia win |
12.25
|
12.50
|
11.00
|
12.1
|
12.1
|
|
| Over 1.5 |
1.33
|
1,42
|
1.40
|
1.37
|
1.37
|
|
| Over 1.5 |
1.33
|
1,42
|
1.40
|
1.37
|
1.37
|
|
| Over 1.5 |
1.33
|
1,42
|
1.40
|
1.37
|
1.37
|
|
Conclusion
Senegal looks like the better team on paper, but judging by the matches played so far in the tournament where there have been some upsets. Therefore, Senegal will need an excellent performance against their neighbor to start on a stronger note.
Samuel Okunsolawo is an iGaming expert with over six years of experience in content writing. His passion for simplifying complex concepts makes his articles accessible and useful for beginners and experts alike. With a focus on sports betting trends and reliable betting sites, Samuel’s articles are an excellent resource for those seeking guidance and staying up to date in the world of iGaming.