Wednesday's Africa Cup of Nations predictions and free football tips: Ziyech can help Atlas Lions make roaring start

Best bets

Hakim Ziyech to score in Morocco v Tanzania
Sky Sports Football, 5pm Wednesday
1pt 12-5 Betfair, Paddy Power

Zambia to beat DR Congo
Sky Sports Football, 8pm Wednesday
1pt 9-5 bet365

Wednesday's Africa Cup of Nations football predictions

The final day of the first round of fixtures from the Africa Cup of Nations kicks off with a clash between tournament favourites Morocco and a side making only their third Afcon appearance, Tanzania. 

The Atlas Lions made the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup and boast one of the strongest squads at the tournament, with the likes of Achraf Hakimi among their ranks. 

In contrast, Tanzania finished as the worst ranked team in their last Afcon appearance in 2019, losing all three of their group games by an aggregate score of 8-2, which would suggest this match will go only one way. 

Morocco striker Youssef En-Nesyri will be licking his lips at the prospect of facing such minnows but he was kept quiet by the Taifa Stars when these sides met in November and could be contained again. 

Hakim Ziyech bagged the opener in that fixture, however, and he looks likely to be key to the Atlas Lions’ fortunes at this tournament after scoring twice and assisting once in his five Champions League matches for Galatasaray this term. 

The former Chelsea man has 21 goals in 55 matches for Morocco and rates a solid bet to find the net against Tanzania.  

The final game of the first round looks set to be a close-fought encounter between DR Congo and Zambia. 

It looks set to be a tight game but slight preference is for Zambia, whose manager Avram Grant narrowly missed out on the Afcon title when Ghana manager in 2015, losing on penalties in the final. 

They have won nine of their 15 matches under the Israeli and warmed up for this tournament with a well-earned 1-1 draw with a strong Cameroon side while in contrast DR Congo have failed to win any of their last three despite playing minnows Angola and Sudan in that run. 

That would suggest that Zambia, led off the pitch by the experienced Grant and on it by Leicester forward Patson Daka, should make a winning start to their Afcon campaign.

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