Ghana the host will be playing against Guinea in the opening match of the tournament.

Here are my reasons for this pick:

First of all, it's the home advantage. In 2004, Tunisia managed to win the trophy thanks to the home advantage. In 2006 as well, Egypt managed to win the trophy thanks to the home advantage. Ghana themselves have clinched the 1963 and 1978 titles on home soil. So, the home advantage cannot be ignore especially if the host nation is a big team like Ghana.

Second, it's the quality of the players. The likes of Essien, Muntari and Appiah definitely have the edge over the likes of Feindouno, Mansare and Bangoura. Guinea really has a quality players but they are a class below the black stars.

Finally, it's the managers of both teams. LeRoy, Ghana's manager is a manager with vast experience in the Dark Continent, having coached Cameroon twice, Senegal and DR Congo in previous Nations Cups. The Frenchman reached his peak in his first spell with the Indomitable Lions, guiding them to second place in the 1986 Nations Cup in Egypt, before clinching the title two years later in Morocco. On the other hand, his fellow Frenchman Nouzaret has no highlights all over his manager career except for winning the French League Cup with Montpellier in 1992. He coached Cote d'Ivoire twice in 1996 and 2004, but he only managed to reach CAN 1998 quarter-finals, before being knocked out by the then champions Egypt. He also failed to reach the 2004 Nations Cup in Tunisia with the Elephants, after which he got sacked immediately.

Verdict: Given the home advantage and a slight edge in the quality of the players, a home win looks on the cards. Bet on Ghana and grab these odds.

Good Luck

Pick : Ghana
Odds : 1.60
Stake : 10 / 10
Bookmaker : Unibet
Date : 2008-01-20
Match Result :
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