An interesting fixture is on the cards as Mauritania and Angola go toe-to-toe with each other at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2024). Which of these teams will come out on top when all is said and done?
Mauritania vs Angola overview
This Group D clash will take place at the Stade de la Paix on Saturday January 20. Kick-off time is 6 pm WAT.
Mauritania
Mauritania's opening game didn't go as well as they had hoped, as they lost to Burkina Faso by a lone goal. Amir Abdou's men will hope to salvage their Nations Cup campaign by winning this game.
Angola
Angola, on the other hand, held their own against two-time AFCON champions Algeria in their first match. Even though they trailed at the half-time break, Pedro Goncalves' troops were able to get back on level terms, thanks to Mabululu's penalty.
Considering Angola will have a challenging round 3 match-up against Algeria, they'll fancy their chances of taking all three points against a struggling Mauritania side.
Mauritania vs Angola head to head
These teams met twice in October 2018, in the qualifying rounds of AFCON 2019. They squared off against each other a total of four times.
As it stands, both teams have one win apiece, while the spoils were shared in two of their four previous encounters.
Mauritania vs Angola potential lineups
Amir Abdou is expected to adopt the same 4-4-2 formation he used in Mauritania's AFCON opener, with Sint Truidense's Aboubakary Koita and Al Jazira's Aboubakar Kamara leading the attack.
On the other hand, Angola will likely line up in a 3-5-2 formation, with Primero de Agosto's Neblú starting between the sticks.
Bearing that in mind, these are our probable Mauritania vs Angola lineups:
Mauritania
Goalkeeper: Babacar Niasse.
Defenders: Aly Abeid, Dellahi Yali, Mohamed Abd, Ibrahima Keita.
Midfielders: Guessouma Fofana, Omare Gassama, Hemeya Tanjy, Idrissa Thiam.
Forwards: Aboubakar Kamara, Aboubakary Koita.
Angola
Goalkeeper: Neblú.
Defenders: Quinito, Kialonda Gaspar, Jonathan Buatu.
Midfielders: Bruno Paz, Show, Fredy, Loide Augusto, Nurió Fortuna.
Forwards: Gelson Dala, Zito Luvumbo.
Mauritania vs Angola tactical analysis
Mauritania have gone through a rough patch since they secured a spot at this tournament. They are currently on a five-match winless streak, with two draws and three losses.
It gets worse, Amir Abdou's men did not score a single goal in their last four matches. They conceded three times in that four-game stretch.
It can be said that Angola are on a seven-match unbeaten run. However, the reality is, they lost just one of those games.
Pedro Goncalves' men have drawn five matches in a row. They scored just once in their last four matches, whilst conceding once.
Mauritania vs Angola prediction
All signs point to a low-scoring affair. First of all, the last two skirmishes between these teams were goalless draws.
Furthermore, three of Angola's last four games ended goalless, their last five matches went below the 2.5 goal threshold.
In like manner, just one goal was scored in Mauritania's last three games. For these reasons, our Mauritania vs Angola prediction is under 1.5 total goals.
Where to watch Mauritania vs Angola live
Mauritanians can catch all the action live on AfroSport TV and beIN Sports Max 1 & 2.
Meanwhile TPA 2 and Girassol TV will broadcast this match on TV for those who reside in Angola.
