Senegal receives a boost before this match with confirmation that their key striker, Ndiaye, is available to play. Following their 3-0 victory over Botswana in the previous round, coach Diouf has stated the team's positive mental state. They are avoiding overconfidence and have conducted closed-door training sessions, preventing media access. Democratic Republic of Congo, however, has a more ambitious approach, with their coach, Mutusami, emphasizing the necessity of winning this match to advance from the group stage and using the third round to test strategies. Examining the data can help inform our choices. Senegal generally has stronger fundamentals. The last time they failed to win on Asian handicap in an official match was in August against Sudan. Democratic Republic of Congo has several players with eligibility questions, information widely known among bettors. Considering this, Senegal is given a 0.5 handicap, which is considered insufficient. Given Senegal's current ranking of 19th compared to Democratic Republic of Congo's 56th, a 0.75 handicap would be more appropriate. Backing Senegal is seen as too risky, and the prediction is for Democratic Republic of Congo to avoid defeat. Prediction: Away Democratic Rep Congo +0.5