By Neel Shelat Senegal vs Sudan Senegal will take on Sudan in the Round of 16 opener on January 3. The 2021 champions are the overwhelming favourites in this tie as Sudan are entering just their second AFCON knockout match since their only title win in 1970.Even getting to the knockouts is an incredible achievement for the Falcons of Jediane, who had by far the toughest route to the competition. They had to play all their qualification matches abroad as a brutal civil war rages on in their homeland, leaving all domestic football suspended. Many of their players have not been able to go to Sudan at all in the last couple of years, while several have lost loved ones in the conflict.Kwesi Appiah’s side have shown great spirit and intensity in all of their performances, so Senegal will have to be careful not to underestimate them. The Lions of Teranga have not tasted defeat in their last 24 competitive fixtures, though, so they will be quite confident of sealing progression to the quarter-finals. Mali vs Tunisia The second Round of 16 clash is being billed as the ‘Sufferball derby’, as both Mali and Tunisia are expected to put together some seriously stodgy performances in the knockouts.Tom Saintfelt’s side have already given everyone a taste of what they’re capable of as they fielded five midfielders in place of traditional wingers to carve out a 1-1 draw with Morocco in their second group game.The Eagles followed that up with a goalless draw with the Comoros, in which they took about an hour to register their first effort from inside the box. With that, they finished second in their group despite failing to win a single match.Tunisia, for their part, have shown some more attacking quality thus far as they scored three times as many goals as Mali with six. What is even more surprising, though, is that the Eagles of Carthage have failed to keep a clean sheet at AFCON so far, having gotten through their entire World Cup qualification campaign without even conceding once.We could well be treated to an interesting tactical battle in this match as Saintfelt is sure to mix things up, and his midfielders have shown ample technical quality as well as physical capacity that can trouble any opponent. Tunisian coach Sami Trabelsi will surely be keen to shore up his defence, knowing that he can rely on young creators like Hannibal Mejbri and Sebastian Tounekti going forward. Morocco vs Tanzania Hosts Morocco comfortably topped Group A with two wins and a draw, but it has not been all smooth sailing for them. There is a hint of animosity between the fans and head coach Walid Regragui, which has truthfully been brewing since their Round of 16 exit from the last AFCON.Even before the tournament started, he likely did not please everyone when he said, “We want fans who come to encourage [the players], not just to take photos or eat sweets.” The 50-year-old tactician was used to seeing some of the world’s most active and passionate supporters in his time at Wydad Casablanca, but the crowds in the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in Rabat are relatively reserved.The fans, for their part, made their voices heard after the draw with Mali as boos rang around at full-time. Some changes for the final group game were better received, though, and the crowd is sure to get behind the host nation in the big knockout games.A Round of 16 tie against Tanzania might just be the perfect starting point for Morocco. The Taifa Stars are making their knockout debut in their fourth AFCON appearance even though they are yet to register a win; they progressed as one of the better third-placed teams despite only picking up two points.The Atlas Lions have to be very confident of coming away with a comfortable victory from this match. South Africa vs Cameroon Last edition’s third-place finishers South Africa face five-time champions Cameroon in the heavyweight Round of 16 match-up.Bafana Bafana were considered a team to watch by many for their all-round balance and tactical intelligence. They have shown some glimpses of those qualities so far, but things haven’t quite clicked as they might have liked. Hugo Broos’ side failed to keep a clean sheet in all group games, losing to Egypt and needing fairly late winners against both Angola and Zimbabwe.Cameroon, on the other hand, always enter AFCON with high hopes given their historical pedigree, but most expected them to struggle given all their off-field issues in the lead-up to the tournament. Despite only being appointed a couple of weeks before the tournament kicked off, David Pagou has managed to put together a pretty good side that can be quite fun to watch, albeit a bit too open for his liking at times.All of this should set us up for an exciting encounter that could easily go either way. The winner will likely face Morocco in the quarter-final, so this part of the bracket is the most exciting one. Egypt vs Benin Egypt topped Group B thanks to a narrow win over South Africa, giving them a relatively easier knockout path on paper. However, as their last-gasp win over Zimbabwe showed, they aren’t necessarily the most comfortable against weaker opposition.The Pharaohs have always been a better counterattacking side in recent years, relying on the quality of star forwards Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush. Hossam Hassan’s midfield selections mostly prioritise defensive solidity over creativity, so they can have difficult days against deep defences.Benin are quite capable of posing such a challenge, having recently given South Africa and Nigeria a huge scare in World Cup qualifying. Gernot Rohr’s side have shown glimpses of quality with their passing when allowed time on the ball, all while keeping good numbers at the back. So, they likely won’t be an easy team to beat for Egypt. Nigeria vs Mozambique Three-time champions Nigeria finished as runners-up last time around, but they will continue to be regarded as one of Africa’s biggest underachievers until they get their hands on the trophy again. Failing to qualify for the next World Cup plays a big part in that, as does their 12-year title drought.With just a month between the Super Eagles’ World Cup elimination and the start of the tournament, everyone was interested to see how they would bounce back. Head coach Éric Chelle should be pretty pleased thus far as his side are one of just two teams to come away with nine points from the group stage, besides being the tournament’s top scorers.Mozambique, meanwhile, recorded their first win at AFCON at the 17th time of asking with a 3-2 triumph over Gabon, setting themselves on course for their very first knockout appearance. Sporting winger Geny Catamo has been the star of the show with two goals and an assist, so he will pose the biggest threat to the Nigerian defence.The likes of Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman are sure to cause panic at the other end of the pitch, but all eyes will be on Chelle’s midfield selection. The experienced Alex Iwobi is a nailed-on starter, but Raphael Onyedika will be hoping that his brace in the final group game earns him a spot ahead of Wilfried Ndidi or Frank Onyeka. The Club Brugge midfielder’s all-round quality means he could well help Nigeria shore up their defence and cement their status as one of the frontrunning contenders. Algeria vs DR Congo One of the most exciting Round of 16 clashes sees 2019 champions Algeria take on DR Congo, who got to the semi-finals last time around.The Fennecs failed to get past the group stage or even win a game in the two editions following their last title, but they have bounced back in style this time around with a near-perfect record of three wins, seven goals scored and just one conceded in the group stage. Their first-choice XI got the better of Sudan and Burkina Faso, before a largely rotated side looked equally impressive in the final group game.Captain Riyad Mahrez remains an important figure in the attack, but young Ibrahim Maza has been stealing the spotlight lately with some lively displays as a number 10. The rest of the side behind him has looked quite well-balanced too, so Algeria will be confident of going the distance in the tournament.DR Congo will have other ideas and certainly have good reason to back themselves, having gone stride-for-stride with Senegal in Group D. Defensive solidity has been the name of their game as they have only conceded once as well, so finding an attacking edge will be the key to their success. 34-year-old Gaël Kakuta’s performance against Botswana showed that he might just be the man to provide this X factor.The top five FotMob rated players at AFCON so far Ivory Coast vs Burkina Faso The defending champions will draw the curtain on the Round of 16 with their tie against Burkina Faso in Marrakesh.The standout action will surely come down the wings in this clash. Teenage talent Yan Diomande has continued his stellar breakout season with eye-catching displays for the Ivory Coast, while Manchester United’s Amad has shown the best of his attacking quality as well. Burkina Faso have looked bright coming down their left side with full back Arsène Kouassi’s overlapping runs supporting Brentford winger Dango Ouattara, while captain Bertrand Traoré or young Cyriaque Irié can cause problems for the opponents on the other flank.The similarities between both teams continue in the striker department, where the lack of a clinical box presence has limited them. So, the side that does a better job of taking their chances could well emerge victorious here. Emerse Faé’s side will consider themselves the favourites and certainly have the quality to win the midfield battle, but Burkina Faso have a better defensive record so far and should not be counted out.(Images via IMAGO)You can follow the Africa Cup of Nations on FotMob – with deep stats and players ratings. Download the free app here.