Ivory Coast v Guinea: Soumah to shine

Soumah looks vastly underrated to get on the scoresheet

Dave Farrar predicts Guinea to at least get one on target against favourites Ivory Coast...

Ivory Coast v Guinea
Tue, 16:00
Live on British Eurosport

Ivory Coast look a short price to get their Cup of Nations campaign off to a winning start against Guinea, and I certainly won't be having an interest in them at around 1.68/13.

Herve Renard has now taken over from the hapless and fairly hopeless Sabri Lamouchi, and while his team boast real attacking riches, it's at the back where serious issues exist.

Kolo Toure has been coaxed out of retirement to lead the backline, Serge Aurier is a player of real wit and skill, but with those two likely to be partnered by a take-your-pick choice of diabolical centre halves, plus the veteran Siaka Tiene, it's hard to place too much faith in Renard's side, for all that he can call on Yaya Toure and Wilfried Bony.

The question we then have to ask ourselves is whether Guinea are good enough to take advantage of Ivory Coast's failings. Ebola meant that they played their entire qualifying campaign away from home, and so they did particularly well to make it here.

There'll be a togetherness about Guinea, what they have gone through lately makes that inevitable, and I expect them to play at pace on the counter attack. If that Ivory Coast backline starts to look its age, then Guinea can exploit them, with Seydouba Soumah looking excellent in qualifying, and Naby Keita quick and useful too.

I think that Guinea will prove a classic example of a team which provides some previously unknown gems of this tournament, and I bet that, once 10 minutes of this opener has gone, they don't look like 5.59/2 shots.

There's a better chance than the prices would suggest that Guinea could cause an upset here, but I'm not going to back them, preferring to take a two pronged approach which is based on the idea that they'll perform rather better than expected.

Soumah was only outscored in qualifying by Jonathan Pitroipa, and he shouldn't be as big as 4.57/2 to score at any time, and nor should the likelihood of Both Teams To Score be measured at 2.35/4.

Ivory Coast are anything but certainties here, and you should join me in cheering Guinea, and investing in them too.

Recommended Bets
Back Both Teams to Score @ 2.35/4
Back Seydouba Soumah To Score @ 4.57/2