With just 16 teams remaining, we are approaching the business end of the Africa Cup of Nations. Group games offered a lot of drama, late goals and entertainment, but as things begin to get serious, it's time to analyse the current state of play and pick out some of the best bets ahead of Saturday’s round-of-16 matches.
Africa Cup of Nations Last 16 Best Bets
Action is beginning to heat up over in Morocco, and we are going along for the ride by using some of the best online bookies to pick out top selections. To give ourselves a helping hand, we have used our dedicated stats hub Kickform to compile the following best bets:
| Market | Odds | Return for £10 |
|---|---|---|
| Senegal Over 1.5 Goals vs Sudan | 4/9 (BetMGM) | £14.44 |
| Morocco Over 1.5 Goals vs Tanzania | 3/10 (bet365) | £13.00 |
| Nigeria to Beat Mozambique | 19/50 (bet365) | £13.80 |
| Ivory Coast vs Burkina Faso Over 7.5 Corners | 1/2 (Betway) | £15.00 |
*Odds correct at 12:00 on 01/01/2026. Odds subject to change.
Bet 1: Senegal Over 1.5 Goals vs Sudan
A pair of 3-0 victories against Botswana and Benin saw Senegal power into the knockout stages as the group winners. The Lions have been rewarded with a last 16 clash against Sudan, who have squeaked into this stage after being one of the highest ranked third-placed teams.
Senegal have found the back of the net in 11 of their last 12 outings, including their 3-1 win over England back in June. In fact, the one game in which they failed to score was a 2-0 defeat against Brazil.
Sudan, meanwhile, were out of their depth against Algeria and Burkina Faso, conceding five goals across those two defeats. Their only success during the group stage was a 1-0 victory over Equatorial Guinea.
Bearing all that in mind, we’re backing the Lions to put on another devastating performance and score over 1.5 goals for the third time in this tournament.
Bet 2: Morocco Over 1.5 Goals vs Tanzania
Being a host nation can come with a lot of added pressure, but Morocco seem to be handling things well, securing their spot in the last 16 with a couple of solid victories over Comoros and Zambia.
Walid Regragui has watched his men score six goals during their three group games, while also conceding once in a 1-1 draw with Mali.
Sunday’s opponents, Tanzania, could be in trouble if their defensive record is anything to go by. The Taifa Stars have not kept a clean sheet in nine games, and they are without a win in 10.
Based on all those facts, we are backing the tournament hosts to score over 1.5 goals.
No Expiry Date
Bet 3: Nigeria to Beat Mozambique
Monday night entertainment at AFCON sees a goal-mad Nigerian side take on Mozambique. The Super Eagles are one of the tournament favourites, and they are certainly making an impact with their fierce attack.
Nigeria scored eight goals across their three group matches, including three against Uganda last time out.
Mozambique have reached this stage of the tournament courtesy of their 3-2 victory over Gabon, though they remain massive underdogs in this game against Nigeria.
The Mambas were narrowly beaten by Cameroon and Ivory Coast in their other group games, and we expect Chiquinho Conde’s men to face another disappointment against Eric Chelle’s title hunters.
Bet 4: Ivory Coast vs Burkina Faso Over 7.5 Corners
Our last bet comes from what promises to be a tasty knockout clash between the Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso.
The two teams lead the way in terms of corners at AFCON, with the Elephants picking up 24 and the Stallions enjoying the set piece 21 times.
Considering how often both teams seem to earn corners, we are backing the trend to continue. The over 7.5 corners bet is well priced, but you can get more value if you back a bigger number.
