Football Bet of the Day: Scorpions to sting Coelacanths in El Jadida

The competitive international football action kicks off on Wednesday, notably in Africa where the first four 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers will be played.

One of these games, Comoros versus Gambia, features in my football bet of the day for Wednesday, September 4, with tasty-looking odds of 4/1.

Comoros vs Gambia Odds

*Please click on the link above to be taken to the main Comoros vs Gambia page on betfred.com (or app) for all the live betting prices on this match.

Comoros and Gambia meet at the Ben M'Hamed El Abdi Stadium in El Jadida, Morocco on Wednesday (16:00 BST) to kick off the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign. The pair have been grouped alongside Tunisia and Madagascar in Group A, with the Tunisians expected to top it. Madagascar (119) are the next highest-ranked nation in Group A, followed by Comoros (119) and Gambia (132).

However, I don't think the rankings are necessarily a reflection of where these countries are at in football. Comoros have beaten Ghana (1-0) and the Central African Republic (4-2) in World Cup qualifiers in the past 12 months but were not present at the 2023 Afcon which took place in the Ivory Coast earlier this year.

Gambia, meanwhile, were thrust into the 'Group of Death' alongside Senegal, Cameroon and Guinea, losing all three games. They've also not played an international friendly since drawing 2-2 with Guinea-Bissau in November 2022, whereas Comoros have played three in that period and also featured five times at the Cosafa Cup during the summer, a competition recognised by Fifa but one which is only played by teams from Southern Africa, many of whom fielded local players rather than their best and most recognisable ones.

This will be the first-ever meeting between Comoros and Gambia, so there is no head-to-head record to fall back on. Gambia's record of losing six of their last seven matches isn't a pretty one and perhaps points to Comoros claiming victory on Wednesday if there is to be a winner in El Jadida.

Football Odds

However, I'm willing to look past that and back Gambia to pick up all three points in a low-scoring midweek encounter. The Scorpions were narrow losers in their most recent match, a 3-2 World Cup qualifier defeat to Gabon on June 11 where former Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyand and LAFC star Denis Bouanga each struck to help the Panthers claim victory. Gabon also fielded Wolves midfielder Mario Lemina, highlighting the talent within their ranks.

Three days prior, Gambia thrashed Seychelles 5-1, with Musa Barrow and Yankuba Minteh both getting on the scoresheet for the hosts in Berkane. Barrow and Minteh are their country's biggest hopes in attack, with the former scoring 26 Serie A goals across five seasons for Atalanta and Bologna before sealing a move to Saudi Arabian side Al-Taawoun last summer.

Minteh, meanwhile, is the biggest star. The 20-year-old has only played seven times for his country but already has three international goals, including one in each of his last two appearances. The Brighton & Hove Albion winger, who joined from Newcastle United in July after starring on loan in the Eredivisie with Dutch giants Feyenoord last season, has already made an instant impression with the Seagulls, registering an assist for Kaoru Mitoma 26 minutes into his Premier League debut against Everton at Goodison Park last month.

The ex-Odense star was also a constant threat against both Manchester United and Arsenal to help Brighton preserve their unbeaten start to the 2024/25 campaign, and he will now be targeting a successful international window with Gambia, who face a tough test against Tunisia next Monday.

Comoros are certainly improving as a footballing nation, with the likes of El Fardou Mohamed Ben Nabouhan and ex-Lyon and OGC Nice attacker Myziane Maolida impressing on the international scene. Ben has 19 goals in 39 international caps, while Maolida has scored three times in five games since declaring for the Coelacanths last year.

With PAOK defender Omar Colley marshalling the backline as captain, though, Gambia have enough to withhold anything their opponents throw at them on Thursday, and it's up to Minteh & co to produce further forward, which I expect them to this week.

Gambia to win and under 2.5 total goals looks like a goer to me at 4/1.

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