Bet of the day: Samba Boys awesome 11/1 to sink South Africa 3-1
Robbie Purves | August 4, 2016
Coral’s bet of the day
- Brazil scored three goals in five of their six games at Olympics
- Samba Boys boast star studded squad
- Home advantage likely to play part
Samba Boys 11/1 to sink South Africans 3-1
Host nation Brazil will kick-off their men’s Olympic football campaign against South Africa, and will hope home advantage pays dividends.
At their previous tournament in London, the Samba Boys scored an incredible three goals in five of their six games and Coral have the South American nation 11/1 to triumph 3-1.
After an embarrassing exit at their own World Cup in 2014, Brazil have made sure they don’t suffer the same fate by selecting a squad brimming with talent. They will field stars such as Barcelona striker Neymar, PSG defender Marquinhos, and Lazio attacker Felipe Anderson.
Neymar scored an exceptional 31 goals last term in all competitions and is very much his nation’s talisman.
More often than not he produces, the forward has already netted 46 times in 70 caps the age of 23. However, the Samba Boys will not have to rely purely on Neymar, with teenage talent Gabriel Jesus hitting the headlines.
Jesus has just signed for Manchester City for £27m, and has a great record for both the Under-20s and Under-23s, recording a total of eight goals in 10 caps.
Home soil adds advantage
Brazil have international winning pedigree and will hope to banish their recent demons, exiting the Copa America after failing to get out the group stage.
Their opponents from the Rainbow Nation however, possess a squad devoid of household names. In their previous Olympic Games in 2000, they country failed to get past the first round and will again struggle to make an impact in Rio.
Hot prospect Phakamani Mahlambi, who could have been a breakout star at the tournament, misses out after suffering a serious injury -hampering manager Owen de Gama’s chances of journeying deep into the tournament.
However, expect Keegan Dolly, who was instrumental in Mamelodi Sundowns winning the South African league last term, to keep Brazilian defenders on their toes and perhaps get on the scoresheet for Bafana Bafana.
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