Africa Cup of Nations 2013: Preview and Predictions for Group A Matches on Day 5

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: January 22, 2013

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The first day of Group A play was uneventful. A pair of scoreless draws got the Africa Cup of Nations off to a lackluster start, but all four countries are now on level footing with two matches left to decide which two advance to the knockout stages.

Fans should expect play to open up on Day 5. It was clear that all four teams were trying to avoid a mistake in the opener that would put them in an early hole. Now it's time to ramp up the attacking efforts to gain an edge.

Let's take a look at both of the matches on tap in Group A on Wednesday and predict which countries will take control heading into the final day of group play.

 

South Africa vs. Angola



South Africa let an opportunity slip away in their opener against Cape Verde. The host nation really should have won that match, which would have not only given Bafana Bafana the group lead, but also sparked even more fan interest.



Instead, they couldn't feed off the crowd and struggled to generate scoring opportunities against the underdog nation. Interestingly, South Africa decided to bring Katlego Mphela off the bench after returning from injury rather than start him alongside Bernard Parker.

Given the importance of this match, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him back in the lineup after 20 minutes of solid play in the opener. Bafana Bafana will need him against an Angola side that kept Morocco under control with relative ease.

The tone for this match will be set in the first 15 minutes. South Africa must come out far more aggressive than it was in the first match and attempt to dictate the pace. If Mphela and Parker can do that, Bafana Bafana should escape with all three points.

Prediction: 2-1 South Africa

 

Morocco vs. Cape Verde Islands



Cape Verde deserves a lot of credit for earning a draw against South Africa. It was a difficult ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - International Football

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