Are you a fan of the African Cup of Nations and looking to learn about betting on the tournament? Read Betway Insider's handy guide to find out how to bet on AFCON.
The Africa Cup of Nations is an international football tournament that sees Africa’s best teams face off biennially. The competition begins with a group stage, followed by a knockout format, where the team that wins the final match becomes the overall tournament winner.
Betting on Africa Cup of Nations games can be an intimidating prospect for new bettors, but don’t worry: our guide will give you all the information you need to bet on AFCON, from tips on reading betting odds to common mistakes you should avoid! So, without further ado, read on to learn more about the biggest competition in African football.
How does betting on the Africa Cup of Nations work?
To bet on the Africa Cup of Nations, you first need to choose your betting market. Each game in the tournament offers a variety of markets to choose from, including predictions for outcomes such as the match winner, goal scorers, and the final score. You can also bet on outright markets, which predict long-term outcomes like the tournament winner and top goal scorer.
Each bet is assigned odds, which indicate the perceived likelihood of the outcome being correct. To place a bet, you must wager a chosen amount of money on one of these outcomes, and at the end of the game (or tournament for outright bets), you’ll win money for a correct bet based on the odds you chose.
How to read AFCON betting odds
When learning how to bet on football, getting to grips with betting odds is essential.
You will often find AFCON betting odds presented in a fractional format. Each market is assigned a fraction that shows how much of your original stake you could earn from a successful bet: the number on the right of the fraction represents your stake, and the number on the left is how much money you can win.
For example, if Egypt are given 7/1 odds of winning the tournament, you’ll earn 7 times the money you bet, as well as earn your original stake back. A £1 bet would return £7 (plus your £1 stake), a £10 bet would return £70 (plus your £10 stake), etc. For more info on reading odds, you can check out our complete guide to fractional betting odds.
AFCON betting advice and insights
The key to placing a strong bet on Africa Cup of Nations games is to understand the teams and players involved. Researching previous matchups and performances will reveal the strengths and weaknesses of each side, as well as how they interact with one another on the pitch. So, don’t shy away from reading up on each team and the key players before betting on a match.
Another critical consideration is player form, as some footballers are prone to hot streaks and periods of underperformance. Look at recent fixtures to see where the momentum lies for each team, and use that to inform your decision.
The location of the game can also play a role in its outcome, as a local crowd is typically much louder and more supportive than visiting fans. A team might also be playing in a climate that they’re not used to – for example, players from a more temperate part of South Africa may not be as used to playing in the sweltering heat of Burkina Faso or Senegal.
Mistakes to avoid when betting on AFCON
For every common betting tip, there’s also a mistake to avoid. If you’re looking to improve your play when betting on AFCON, try to avoid these traps:
Chasing losses: If you lose money when betting on AFCON, you may be tempted to place another bet to try to earn back some of the cash you lost. However, if you’re not careful, you may end up on a downward spiral, continually trying to recoup your losses and ultimately losing even more money. This is a dangerous habit, so make sure you set reasonable limits to your play – and remember to bet responsibly.
Having unrealistic expectations: When many bettors start placing their first bet, they expect to win big and do no wrong. In reality, losses aren’t uncommon, so stay level-headed and approach your betting strategy rationally.
Common AFCON betting markets
Since we’re sharing tips on how to bet on AFCON matchups, we’d better tell you about the main markets available. Below are some of the most popular and how they work:
Tournament winner: This outright betting market focuses on the overall AFCON tournament winner.
Group winners: The tournament begins with the AFCON group stages, where teams are split into six groups of four. In these groups, they compete for points to progress to knockouts. This betting market allows you to predict the winner of each group.
Win/draw/win: When betting on AFCON matches, you’ll be able to choose either side to win, or for a draw to occur at full time. In the knockout stages, draws will proceed to extra time, followed by a penalty shootout.
Double chance: Double chance bets allow you to bet on two outcomes for the match result. For example, you could bet on Team A to win or draw against Team B.
Draw no bet: In a draw no bet, the option of a draw is removed, allowing bettors to only place on either team to win. If a draw does occur, then the bet is refunded.
Correct score: If you think you can predict the exact score at the end of an AFCON game, this betting market allows you to wager money on the result.
Under/over: In an over/under bet, bettors must predict whether a particular statistic is higher or lower than a set amount – e.g. more or less than 3.5 goals to be scored.
Total goals: Total goals bets allow you to wager money on how many goals will be scored over the course of a game by both sides.
Goal scorer: This betting market focuses on the individual players by allowing bettors to predict who will score a goal during their chosen match.
Types of AFCON football bets
There is a wide variety of ways to bet on AFCON action, so learning your options and choosing one that works for you is crucial. Here are just a few of the ways you can play:
Accumulator: Accumulator bets combine multiple predictions into one package, but all outcomes need to be correct to receive a payout. This makes them a high-risk, high-reward betting choice.
Multiple bet: Accumulators are perhaps the most popular type of multiple bet, but there are others that include a level of ‘insurance’. In these type of multiples, you’ll choose a selection of markets to include in your bet, but not all will need to come in to win. These bets include yankees, trixies and lucky 15s.
Single bet: A single bet is one bet on one particular market, such as the final scorer, a goal scorer, or under/over goals.
Bet builder: Bet builders allow bettors to place wagers on multiple markets in one game, but unlike accumulators, every bet must be from one event. This means bet builders can’t include bets across multiple games or tournaments.
In-play: When betting on AFCON, you don’t have to place your predictions in advance of the game. In-play bets allow you to make predictions on the fly after kick-off, so you can react to the game as it develops.
Handicap: Handicap bets give one team a points deficit to overcome, allowing you to bet on who the winner would be once the deficit is removed. For example, if Ivory Coast is the firm favourite to win a game, they might be given a two-goal handicap (so they need to win by more than two goals for the bet to come in). These handicaps make predictable results more fun to bet on.
How to bet on AFCON online
To start betting on AFCON today, log in to your Betway account or register if you’re a new user. Select your chosen betting market and enter your stake. Our handy betslip will then display your potential winnings. Finally, click ‘Place bet’, and stay tuned for the results of your bet.
Where to bet on Africa Cup of Nations
You can find all the latest AFCON odds right here. Head to our ‘AFCON tournament winner’ page to predict which team will lift the trophy, or choose another betting market that catches your eye.
You can also download the Betway Sports app, letting you track your bets from your phone. Download it today from the App Store or Play Store.
Similar to betting on the Africa Cup of Nations
Can’t wait for the next AFCON tournament, or just looking for a different competition to bet on? Betway offers so many more football contests, so it’s easy to find your favourite and get involved. Here are some other popular international tournaments.
World Cup 2026
The FIFA World Cup takes place every four years, with the best international teams from around the globe competing for a chance to lift the iconic trophy. You can bet on the World Cup 2026 tournament winner on our football sportsbook.
U20 World Cup
The U20 World Cup is an opportunity for footballers under the age of 20 to shine on the international stage. If you’re looking to learn more about the up-and-coming players who could define the future of the sport, this is the competition to tune into.
