Tony Kelshaw 
Senegal were our pre-tournament selection for Africa Cup of Nations glory and we see no reason to desert them against surprise quarter-finalists Benin. The Lions of Teranga have Liverpool star Sadio Mane in fine form and are the tournament’s highest-rated team, according to the FIFA rankings.
South Africa caused a major upset when knocking hosts Egypt out of the Africa Cup of Nations and can now push Nigeria all the way in the quarter-finals. Bafana Bafana are unbeaten in their last five encounters with the Super Eagles, notably taking four points off them in qualifying for this tournament.
Madagascar and Tunisia both qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals via penalty shoot-outs and another long night could be on the cards when they meet. The Eagles of Carthage have the pedigree to be regarded as clear favourites, but they are yet to win a match during this tournament.
Algeria lost to Ivory Coast in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals but are playing well enough to gain revenge at the same stage this year. The Desert Foxes have arguably been the most impressive team in Egypt so far, rattling off four straight wins, with nine goals scored and none conceded.
India were our pre-tournament selection for Cricket World Cup glory and we see no reason to desert them ahead of a semi-final clash with New Zealand. The Men in Blue only lost to England during the round-robin stage, whereas the Black Caps started strongly but finished with three straight defeats.
With Rafael Benitez now bound for China, we’re taking a look at the latest Newcastle next manager odds to see who is in line to succeed the Spaniard. The Magpies have also parted company with key forward Ayoze Perez this summer, so a high-profile appointment is needed to get the Toon Army back on side.
Australia are expected to wrap up top spot in the Cricket World Cup round-robin table by brushing aside South Africa in Birmingham. The Aussies will be keen to finish at the summit in order to secure a semi-final clash with neighbours New Zealand, rather than having to tackle hosts England.
India can put a little bit of pressure on Australia in the race to top the Cricket World Cup table by seeing off Sri Lanka in Leeds. The Men in Blue have won 12 of the 14 ODI encounters between these sides over the past five years and are a short price to further enhance that head-to-head record.
Ghana were more impressive than Tunisia during the Africa Cup of Nations pool stage and are tipped to shade a tight tussle in the first knockout round. Kwesi Appiah’s side go about their business in a cool, calm and collected manner, which may prove enough to edge out a more volatile outfit.
Mali and Ivory Coast both did well in the Africa Cup of Nations group stage and are also hard to split on head-to-head encounters in recent years. Two of the last three meetings between the Eagles and Les Elephants have ended in stalemate, with the most recent being an October 2017 World Cup qualifier.
Pakistan need a miracle to qualify for the World Cup semi-finals and that could make them vulnerable when taking on Bangladesh at Lord’s. The Falcons must win by 316 runs or more to make the top four, while they are automatically out if losing the toss and being forced to field.
USA had to ride their luck at times when edging out England but that game seemed on a different level to the second Women’s World Cup semi-final won by the Netherlands. The holders look visually fitter than the European champions, possess more tactical nous and have some lethal finishers up front.
Algeria were amongst the most impressive teams during the Africa Cup of Nations pool stage and are hard to oppose when taking on Guinea in the last 16. Manchester City star Riyad Mahrez is the headline name in a formidable forward line, while a less-heralded defence has looked solid so far.
DR Congo came good in their final group game at the Africa Cup of Nations and are fancied to kick on by beating surprise package Madagascar. The Leopards, who finished third in 2015 and reached the quarter-finals two years ago, still have a talented team, with plenty of attacking options.