Cameroon vs. Algeria Predictions: Goal scoring draw on the cards in Douala

There's a full raft of CAF World Cup play off ties this week and we've asked our AFCON aficionado @OddsT3rrier to look at the tie between AFCON hosts Cameroon and 2019 winners Algeria and provide us with his best bets. 

It's barely eight weeks since Cameroon were eliminated at the Semi final stage after a devastating penalty loss to Egypt at AFCON 2021, yet they are straight back on the horse here in Douala in the first leg of a tough tie versus 2019 AFCON winners Algeria. They enter the field under a new Head Coach - a man with a record 137 caps for his country, Rigobert Song. The ex Liverpool and West Ham defender takes his first managerial position here after Toni Conceição paid the price for not winning the trophy on home soil. They will be desperate to take a first leg lead into the crucial second leg in Algiers.

Djamel Belmadi is under huge pressure following Algeria's spineless defence of their AFCON title, exiting the tournament at the group stage after embarrassing losses to Equatorial Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire. Belmadi is showing signs of tension after repeated criticism in the Algerian press and in his latest conference exploded when asked why Adem Zorgane had been omitted from the squad:

"Have you ever played football? You don't have the physique of a footballer or even of an athlete to tell me that he (Zorgane) deserves to be called up," the coach demanded.

"Stay in your places, you are no one to tell me that he deserves (to be called up)."

Make no mistake. If the Fennec Foxes fail to progress against Cameroon, He will be gone. 

With so much on the line for both managers and teams, I think this will be a fairly cagey affair. Cameroon haven't lost a competitive home fixture since 1973 when they lost to Zaire and Rigobert Song will not want to be responsible for breaking that streak in his first ever game as coach. He will likely stick with the 4-1-4-1 formation, that worked so well for the Indomitable Lions in AFCON with top scorer Vincent Aboubakar leading the line again. 

Belmadi will be more than happy with a draw here given their recent form and the pressure he is under at home.

The 41/20 at Unibet will be my main selection. 

Having said that, both sides possess genuine fire power. In Aboubakar and Karl Toko-Ekambi, who accounted for a combined 13 goals in AFCON, Cameroon have men who can find the net with regularity.

Riyad Mahrez was a flop at the Cup of Nations but is in stunning form for Man City and will hope to transfer that here for the Algerians. He will be assisted by Islam Slimani who will replace Baghdad Bounedjah at the head of the forward line, after the man who started at AFCON hasn't been selected. 

I am going to plump for a score draw and the 9/2 on offer will be my second selection.