Benin vs Mauritania Prediction & Betting Tips

How have both sides been playing?

Benin's recent sample covers 16 matches across the Africa Cup of Nations finals, qualifiers and friendlies, and it's been a mixed bag: five wins, three draws and eight losses, with 13 scored and 24 conceded. That's more losses than wins, and the goals against tally stands out.

Benin: 16 completed matches; Mauritania: 14 completed matches.

Benin

16 matches

Win

31.3% 5 / 16

Draw

18.8% 3 / 16

Loss

49.9% 8 / 16

Scored

13

Conceded

24

Difference

-11

Mauritania

14 matches

Win

28.6% 4 / 14

Draw

28.6% 4 / 14

Loss

42.8% 6 / 14

Scored

9

Conceded

14

Difference

-5

Mauritania's own recent record, 14 matches, reads four wins, four draws and six losses, with 9 for and 14 against. Also a losing record overall, though tighter than Benin's and with fewer goals flying in either direction.

Neither side arrives with any real momentum behind them.

Comparative Team Statistics: Benin vs Mauritania

What happened last time these two met?

There have only been two meetings on record between these sides, and both are old news now. Benin won 3-1 at home back in 2019, while Mauritania won 1-0 in the earlier 2017 meeting.

With seven years since the most recent match and plenty of squad turnover likely in that time, this head-to-head doesn't tell us much about the current teams.

Where do they sit in the group?

Going by the numbers given, Benin currently sit second with eight points from six games, two wins, two draws and two losses, scoring seven and conceding seven. Mauritania are fourth with four points from five games, just the one win against three defeats, and only two goals scored.

That's a decent gap in points and position, even allowing that this is only a partial look at the group rather than a full table.

Benin have picked up more points so far, though both have lost multiple games along the way.

What's likely to shape this one?

Put the two threads together and you get two teams who need points but haven't looked convincing doing it. Benin have the better placing and a home game, but their recent form has plenty of defensive worries built in.

Mauritania have shown they can grind out results away from home, drawing four times in their last 14, but they've also struggled to score, with only nine goals in that same run. This has the look of a game that could go either way, or drift into stalemate.

Key player statistics: Benin vs Mauritania

Benin:

Penalty cards:

J. Olaitan x 1

Mauritania:

Best scorers:

M. Diallo - 1

D. Camara - 1

Best assist providers:

A. Mahmoud - 1

O. Ngom - 1

Penalty cards:

N. El Abd x 1