Sports Innovation previews the AFCON match between Malawi and Zimbabwe and offers team stats and betting tips with the latest odds.
In the second Group B fixture on Thursday, Malawi and Zimbabwe meet at the Kouekong Stadium on Friday.
The match takes place shortly after Senegal and Guinea’s top-of-the-table showdown, ensuring a quick conclusion to the second round of Group B fixtures in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Having suffered defeats in their respective AFCON openers, only points will do for Malawi and Zimbabwe here. Neither side can afford to leave empty-handed. If so, it could very well put a premature end to their campaign.
Our tip
Facts and figures for Malawi vs Zimbabwe in Africa Cup of Nations.
- Malawi unbeaten the last 7 matches in a row at home;
- Total goals was UNDER 3.5 in Malawi’s last 7 at home matches in the row;
- Total goals was UNDER 3.5 in Malawi’s last 4 matches in the row;
- Total goals was UNDER 2.5 in Malawi’s last 7 at home matches in the row.
- Zimbabwe conceded in the last 8 of 10 matches;
- Total goals was UNDER 3.5 in Zimbabwe’s last 3 of 5 matches;
- Zimbabwe scored in the last 4 of 6 matches;
- Total goals was UNDER 3.5 in Zimbabwe’s last 3 matches in the row.
Current form — Malawi vs Zimbabwe
The Flames off to poor start
Malawi began their AFCON campaign with a 1-0 defeat to Guinea. It extended their poor run of form to nine losses in their last 13 games across all competitions (W2 D2).
The Warriors left emptyhanded
Like Malawi, Zimbabwe also started their AFCON campaign with a defeat. They lost 1-0 to tournament favorites Senegal. It extended their winless run to 13 games in all competitions (D5 L8).
How do the bookies view it?
It’s a close call here, with little between the two sides in the eyes of the bookmakers. Zimbabwe are slight the favorites, having odds of 2.40 with Mr. Green for this clash. ComeOn! is offering 3.10 odds for the match to finish square, while a Malawi win pays out at 3.75 with Betfair.
Malawi vs Zimbabwe — fixture history
Malawi enter the match against Zimbabwe with a 1-2-7 record in their previous 10 encounters. This amounts to a 10% winning ratio for the Flames, with the Warriors victorious in 70% of the last 10 encounters.
Current table in the Africa Cup of Nations
The current Africa Cup of Nations table shows these two sides on the same number of points so far this season. As such, both have an opportunity to gain some ground on their upcoming opponent in this round 2 clash. There is every reason to keep a close watch on Malawi clashing with Zimbabwe over three points on Friday.
Man of the Moment
There is very little to separate the two teams in terms of output, with neither of them boasting a prolific goalscorer. Not one of their players have scored more than one goal in their most recent games.
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