As we draw closer to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, one market is proving to be more popular among soccer bettors: Both Teams To Score (BTTS). BTTS does not predict the winner of a given match, but on whether both teams will score. It is a good option for tournament football as the final results can be quite tight and unpredictable.
CAF World Cup qualifying data is helpful to punters and analysts focused on Africa’s qualifiers. There are sides that are good at scoring but not necessarily defensively impregnable, often labelled as the “balanced teams”. Others leave behind a series of clean sheets, which tend to suppress the BTTS markets.
Here is a breakdown of the African nations that have qualified for the tournament and how their recent numbers shape their BTTS reliability.
Which factors contribute to team reliability for BTTS?
In international football, two boxes are often ticked by BTTS-friendly teams.
Constant scoring output. A defense that concedes frequently to keep opponents in contests.
Being a solid defensive team and winning games to nil will make them less reliable for a BTTS bet. Even if they score themselves freely.
The most BTTS-prone Africa qualifiers
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S.Africa
Among the teams that made it from the African continent, South Africa’s path looked more open. They scored 15 goals and conceded 9 in the 10 qualifiers.
Their defensive record was not one of the best compared to other qualified nations. Although they managed to score many from their group, they also left their defense open.
When a team is conceding just under a goal a game, while also attacking pretty well, they will present better BTTS value in the 2026 football World Cup when facing better opposition.
Cape Verde
Cape Verde were another surprise performer throughout the qualifying campaign, scoring 15 goals and conceding 7 across their 10 matches.
They are organized and competitive, though not very formal. Significantly, their numbers indicate they are not built just for clean sheets.
Cape Verde has enough quality to score but also an occasional slip-up at the back, making them one of the more realistic BTTS angles among the African qualifiers.
Algeria
Algeria had one of the strongest attacking records in qualification, scoring 24 goals and conceding 8.
Compared to other teams in CAF’s continental competitions, their attack was very elite; however, their defence was decent but not at the clean-sheet extreme of other teams.
Algeria consistently do their part of a BTTS bet which is why they always score.
The strong international opposition is likely to mean that their defence is tested much more than in qualifying which has BTTS appeal.
Ghana
Ghana qualified by scoring 23 goals and conceding 6 in 10 matches.
The Black Stars were defensively stronger than South Africa and Cape Verde, yet they were still not rock solid at the back. Due to their attacking power, they create a decent opportunity for a both-team-score bet.
Although Ghana are pretty strong, they are not a defensive team. This combination puts them in more of a middle ground, and this typically supports the BTTS markets if a fixture is competitive.
The least likely to land BTTS
Many African qualifiers possess extremely strong defensive records, which historically lowers BTTS occurrence.
Tunisia
Tunisia made it without conceding any goal as they finished with 22 goals scored and 0 goal conceded.
Such defensive mastery indicates a side comfortable in controlling games and protecting leads, a tough profile for BTTS punters to trust.
Côte d'Ivoire
Ivory Coast scored 25 and conceded none in qualification, making them equally dominant.
Although tournament football is of a better ilk, their qualifying numbers indicate a side built on defensive assurance.
Egypt
Across their campaign, Egypt scored 20 goals and conceded only 2.
The depth in the attack and a disciplined structure mean few clear chances for opponents.
Morocco
Morocco was the biggest African success story at the 2022 World Cup, qualifying with 22 goals for and 2 against.
Their success relies heavily on their defensive identity. Against better teams, you don’t expect both teams to score.
Senegal
During qualification, Senegal scored 22 goals, conceding only 3.
Like Morocco and Egypt, the heavy reliance of Senegal on defensive organisation has historically reduced the chances of both teams to score when the Lions of Teranga are involved.
In a nutshell, context always comes into play in tournament betting. Match-ups in the group stage, tactical changes and squad changes can impact goals a fair bit. Nonetheless, looking at conflicting evidence from around the world provides an obvious starting point for anyone looking to evaluate BTTS bets on Africa’s World Cup representatives.
