The African Cup of Nations was first held in 1957. Since then it has always taken place between the 10th and 31st of January. In the first month of 2010 the 27th edition of the tournament will take place. The qualification for this edition of the African Cup of Nations began in October 2007. Fifty three African National teams turned up, out of which only 16 nations have qualified to go to Angola, the country that will host the tournament.
The nation that has won the African Nation’s Cup the mostis Egypt, winning the tournament an overall of 6 times. Ghana and Cameroon have won the Cup four times each. This year’s favourites are Ivory Cost at odds of 9/4 with Bet 365 – click here for £100 in free bets
In recent years the Ivory Cost team has gained quite the selection of players. Worldly renowned footballers from clubs like Barcelona, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City. However, the team has had only one win dating to 1992. Since 1965 the Ivory Cost has appeared in 17 editions of the African Cup of Nations.
Other teams to lookout for this year are ever strong Egypt, Cameroon and Nigeria.
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Wembley plays host to the 50th Carling Cup final on Sunday as holders Manchester United aim to retain the trophy they won on penalties last year. Tottenham Hotspur were beaten 4-1 on spot kicks by United after 120 goalless minutes in the 2009 final, and now only Martin O’Neill’s Villa stand in the way of United lifting a fourth league cup. Sir Alex’s men have failed to beat the Villains in their two Premier League meetings this term but Bet365 make England’s most decorated club odds on favourites to add to their list of trophies. The Red Devils are best priced at 4/5, Villa are a generous 7/2 having already beaten United at Old Trafford this season, and if extra time is forced then the draw can be found at 12/5 with the same bookmakers.
The pair have met 173 times before in all competitions, with United winning just over half of all those meetings. However, Martin O’Neill’s Villa proved they are no pushovers when they returned 1-0 victors from Old Trafford in December after Gabby Agbonlahor’s solitary strike. The pair met in a dress rehearsal at Villa Park earlier this month but neither side could force a winner with scores level at 1-1, and both teams had to settle for a share of the spoils. O’Neill’s side currently lie 7th in the Premier League just one point behind Spurs in the race for the fourth Champions League spot but O’Neill’s attention will turn away from domestic matters when they make the 228 mile round trip to the capital.
The Midlands club could be about to book another visit to Wembley after progressing to the quarter finals of the FA Cup at the expense of cash strapped Crystal Palace in midweek. But in Sundays BBC One live final, O’Neill will be hoping for a repeat of the 1996 League Cup final when Brian Little’s Villa side defeated Leeds United 3-0. In fact, the Villains boast a better record in the League Cup than Manchester United, they have beaten their rivals no fewer than 4 times in the 6 ties they have been drawn together.
It’s difficult mention Manchester United without mentioning Wayne Rooney in the same breath of late. The England striker is in the form of his career and with the World Cup finals approaching, he arguably holds the key to our chances in South Africa. The former Everton star bagged another brace against West Ham in midweek taking his tally to 27 in all competitions this season. Rooney’s double helped United move to within one point of leaders Chelsea in the title race and he looks a sound bet to hit the net on Sunday. He is priced at 4/1 with Hills to score the opener in the final but perhaps the 6/1 being flouted for Rooney to score with his head represents better value considering the strikers last four goals have all been headers. Astonishingly, he is odds on with Bet365 at 10/11 to score at anytime during the match.
Sir Alex must have had half an eye on Sunday’s final after resting some of his senior figures the West Ham game in midweek, but he will be without Rio Ferdinand who has a back problem. Ferdinand has started just 8 games this term, and United have already conceded 24 goals, the same amount they conceded in the whole of the last campaign. Villa’s Carlos Cuellar and Gabby Agbonlahor have already breached the United backline, and the latter is 8/1 to trouble the scoresheet first on Sunday. Surprisingly, Manchester United have benefited from own goals a massive ten times already this season including three in one game against Portsmouth at Old Trafford earlier this year, so why not put a small stake on an own goal to be scored at anytime during the final at 11/4.
Manchester United are 12/1 to do it the hard way and win the Carling Cup on penalties as they did last year. Phil Dowd will be the man in charge and he has a little history with Manchester United. The Staffordshire referee sent off United pair Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney at Craven Cottage last season and 11/4 says he reaches for his top pocket again on Sunday. Expect Villa to take the game to United in this final, the first goal is all important if Villa can grab it they have a great chance. They showed at Old Trafford this season they can hold onto 1-0 leads and keep the United firing line at bay. They will be boosted by the news of Rio Ferdinand’s absence and John Carew’s aerial presence could cause problems. However, Villa must hope Wayne Rooney has an off day if they are going to win this one. He is in tantalising form and if he’s on song United generally are too. Sticking my neck on the line, United to win it by the odd goal but this one is by no means a forgone conclusion.
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VC Bet make Manchester United their 11-10 favourites to win the Carling Cup with FA Cup holders Arsenal second best at 7-4. United will play their two-legged semi-final tie against Blackburn Rovers while Arsenal face Premiership overachievers Wigan in the other semi-final.
Blackburn will fancy their chances against an under performing Manchester United side, especially if the Old Trafford outfit field a weakened reserve or youth side. Blackburn have already won at Old Trafford in the Premier League earlier this season.
The Premiership’s surprise package Wigan could also cause an upset, as Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is likely to field a youth side as he concentrates on the Gunners Champions League campaign where they face European giants Real Madrid.
VC Bet’s Neal Wilkins commented “A final between Arsenal and Manchester United at the Millennium Stadium for supposedly the final time would be a sponsor’s and bookmakers’ dream in terms of coverage and turnover. It will be interesting to see which sides Monsieur Wenger and Sir Alex field for their semi-final matches.”
The best-priced odds for the Carling Cup are as follows:
Man Utd 5/4 Blue Square
Arsenal 15/8 Sky Bet
Wigan 6/1 Ladbrokes
Blackburn 7/1 Betfred
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Birmingham City League Form: DDLDWD League Position: 14th
Birmingham City recorded their eighth league draw of the season last time out at Fulham but still haven’t won on their travels for eight months. They are however, unbeaten in their last three which has included a good draw away at Man City and a home win against Chelsea, although they have struggled for goals as of late. Swedish midfielder Sebastian Larsson scored his first goal of the season last time out, and the former Arsenal player is a worth a bet at 5/1 to score at any time with Sporting Bet. Former Villa midfielder Craig Gardener could be fit for the visit of their local rivals, while Maik Taylor and James McFadden will still miss out.
Aston Villa League Form: DDWDLL League Position: 15th
Aston Villa endured their first home league defeat of the season at the weekend and have found themselves at the wrong end of the table in recent weeks. But they will be looking to put that behind them when they travel to local rivals Birmingham City on Wednesday with the chance to progress to the semi-final of the Carling Cup. Attacking midfielder Ashley Young has got two goals in the competition so far this season and is a very good price at 8/1 to open the scoring with Stan James. Unfortunately for Villa they will travel the short distance to St Andrews with an extensive injury list that includes, Marc Albrighton, Carlos Cuellar, Emile Heskey, Stiliyan Petrov, Nigel Reo-Coker and Steve Sidwell.
Match Prediction Birmingham WIN Best priced at 11/8 with SkyBet
Both sides struggled through the last round of the competition with Birmingham needing penalties to overcome Brentford and Aston Villa needing extra time to beat Burnley. However, Birmingham’s improved defensive record and home advantage should be enough to see them through against a Villa side that have conceded 10 goals in their last 4 games. Although Birmingham have struggled to find consistency in front of goal this season and so the Blue’s to win 1-0 could give a decent return at 7/1 with Stan James. The two met in a 0-0 draw at Villa in the league earlier this season and this could be another tight game that could go all the way to penalties. However Birmingham have lost the last 3 meetings between the two at home, and will be looking to turn that around.
Highlighted Bets
Half Time/Full Time – Draw/Birmingham 9/2 William Hill
Birmingham to win on penalties – 9/1 Paddy Power
Birmingham to win 1-0 – 7/1 Stan James
By Sam Markham
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Arsenal Form: WDWDWW League Position: 2nd
Arsenal have been in great form since losing the first leg of this fixture earlier in the month. The Gunners have scored 9 goals in 3 games as they progressed through to the FA Cup 4th Round ahead of Leeds and put 3 past Wigan and West Ham in the league without reply. They are also the only team left in England still able to win all 4 competitions, as they look to win their first piece of silverware since 2005. Striker Robin Van Persie has scored 6 goals in his last three games and the Dutchman is a good bet at 9/4 with totesport to open the scoring. Abou Diaby and Thomas Vermaelen are still out and while Arsene Wenger may make 1 or 2 changes, it is unlikely he will make many as victory on Tuesday will set up a final against either Birmingham or West Ham.
Ipswich Form: LWDLLW League Position: 19th
Ipswich claimed their first league win in 4 games under new manager Paul Jewel at the weekend against Doncaster, to move themselves further clear of the relegation zone. While it has been problems at the back which have proved their downfall, managing to keep only 5 clean sheets, the 4th worst in the division. Despite struggling in the league the Tractor Boys have enjoyed their cup run this season, beating West Brom at home in the last round and gaining victory against Arsenal in the first leg. Striker Tamas Priskin has 3 goals in the competition this season, and the Hungarian is best priced at 4/1 with William Hill to get on the score sheet at any time.
Match Prediction Arsenal WIN best priced at 1/7 with Bet 365
Arsenal really have stepped up their pursuit of silverware in the last few weeks and are firm favourites to overcome Ipswich. Although Arsene Wenger will make some changes from the team that overcame Wigan on Saturday, there won’t be too many as the Gunners still have to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg. A 4-1 Arsenal victory on the night is showing a good return at Bet365 with odds of 14/1.
Highlighted Bets
4-1 Arsenal Win – 14/1 Bet365
T Priskin anytime scorer – 4/1 William Hill
R Van Persie first goal scorer – 9/4 totesport
By Sam Markham
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Since David Haye landed the killer punch against Nikolai Valuev on 2 years back the question on everyone’s lips has been, will and if so when will Haye fight Wladimir Klitschko. When the bout was postponed the rum our was that David Haye was too scared to fight the dreaded Ukrainian, now the gauntlet has been laid down, Haye will face Klitschko, in a fight that is sure to eclipse the poor show of Haye vs. Harrison. Get a free £25 bet on Haye vs Klitschko with William Hill
Haye is a clear 3 inches taller than Klitschko and this advantage could prove pivotal as he looks to dominate the powerful Ukrainian in the early rounds. Although the only opponent in his last 3 fights who Haye has beaten within the first 3 rounds has been the lowly Audley Harrison. So a bet on David Haye to win by knock out in the 3rd round is a risky one, but at odds of 21.0 on SkyBet they could give a great value if Haye starts well. View the full range of free bets available for this fight.
Wladimir Klitschko has such a reputation though, and for good reason the man is a monster, with 55 wins to his name and only 3 losses. Klitschko is a methodical boxer though and it is rare for him to serve a knockout in the first round, rather he works the opponent down with a series of quick punches and use of his tremendous right hook. So he is more likely to land a knockout punch nearer the end of the fight and he is known to KO many opponents in the 9th round, so some money on a knockout in round 9 at odds of 17.0 on SkyBet could work out well.
The method of victory though is for sure something worth having a bet on, the odds are already quite favourable to a victory by points for Klitschko so why not put some money on soon with odds of 4.0 on SkyBet for a points decision in the Ukrainians favour. Haye is much more of a KO fighter so a bet for Haye to win by TKO at 3.5 on SkyBet holds some value if you think the Brit can carry on his fantastic run.
A bet which could really pay off though and that even with a stake of £5 can return £630 is for David Haye to win by a majority decision, which he did against Valuev, if you fancy him to do the same again against his next opponent a few quid on this could really pay off. Free £25 from William Hill.
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Ricky “Hitman” Hatton
Saddo Boxing
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Victor Chandler, the leading online sportsbook, casino and poker room have launched a new free bet promotion prior to the Cheltenham festival. All new customers who open an account and place a qualifying bet of between £5 and £20 will recieve a free bet to the same amount courtesy of Victor Chandler.
The Victor Chandler free bet is one of the most generous free bets from any online bookmaker. VC Bet’s only requirement for the free bet is that your qualifying selection is priced at evens or better.
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Totesport have launched a new betting feature “Text Betting”.The feature allows you to place racing or football bets quickly and conveniently using your mobile phone. You can use your existing totesport account to access this service. If you don’t already have an account, you can register in the UK, by sending REGISTER to the short code 60021. If you are outside the UK, send REGISTER to 447781474750. When your message has been received, a member of the totesport Customer Care team will call you back and go through the registration process with you. Alternatively, you can register online, right away, here.
Using the TextbeT™ text betting service from totesport is safe. None of your account information is transmitted while you bet and in the event that you lose your phone, or it is stolen, all you have to do is let us know and we’ll block the number straight away.
2012 News update: Free Bet Finder would like to inform you that Totesport has been purchased by rival bookmaker Betfred, and the text betting service is to be discontinued. We doubt it will be missed, as internal sources have informed us that the service was not particularly popular, with most punters preferring to place bets online, or via their mobile devices.
If you are interested in mobile betting apps, find out which bookmakers offer the best solutions for Smartphone betting. We have thoroughly tested each app from the top bookmakers in the UK, and we are proud to bring you the definitive list of the best betting apps.
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Saturday’s totescoop6 is a double rollover with an estimated jackpot in excess of £2.5 million. Last weekend there were no winners of the scoop 6 for the second succesive weekend, meaning the win fund of £958k and the bonus fund of £715k have both been added to this weekend’s prize fund. The huge jackpot is likely to casue a frenzy of bets on the tote this weekend as punters look to get lucky.
The last major winner of the scoop 6 was Agnes Haddock, a cleaner who won over half a million pounds from a single £2 bet (the cost of one go on the Scoop 6). Agnes won a staggering £410,332 from her original bet where she picked all 6 winners of Channel 4’s feature races, and then went on to win another £278,288 when she picked the winner of the Scoop 6 bonus race the following weekend.
This week’s Scoop 6 takes in the best racing from Newmarket, Cheltenham and Catterick. If you think you can pick the winners of each of these six races you could be a millionaire on Saturday afternoon!
For a complete guide to Scoop 6 and other tote pool bets click here
To open an account with totesport and receive a free £25 bet for this weekend’s scoop 6 or any other bet, click here
Unfortunately most online bookmakers restrict the use of free bets when it comes to Tote or Scoop 6 betting. However, don’t let that fact put you off scooping a major prize.
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