Football holds a special place in my heart, likewise millions of Africans. The sport has become ingrained in the fabric of the continent. Any further proof to that notion will, essentially, be brought to bare soon. A fever-pitched atmosphere is set to grip the whole region as Africa’s biggest sporting event kicks off on Saturday, January 13 in Cote d’Ivoire. Every two years, football fans from around the world eagerly anticipate the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), one of the world’s most prestigious football tournaments. This tournament showcases the immense talent and passion for the sport within Africa.
Cote d’Ivoire welcomes Africa’s best footballers for the first time since 1984. Twenty-four teams will be vying for honours and glory in a tournament that was originally scheduled to be held in June-July 2023, but was moved to avoid a clash with the West African rainy season.
There are six groups of four teams, with the hosts in Group A alongside three-time champions Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau. Group B contains a heavyweight match-up, with Mohamed Salah’s Egypt, the most successful team in the competition’s history, drawn against four-time winners Ghana.
Holders Senegal have drawn Cameroon in Group C in one of the most tantalising early fixtures, while Morocco face former winners DR Congo and Zambia and East Africa’s sole representatives Tanzania in Group F. Walid Regragui’s side, which became the first side from the continent to reach a World Cup semi-final in Qatar in 2022, is the highest African nation in the world rankings (13th) – but have not won a Nations Cup since 1976.
In Group D, 2019 AFCON winners Algeria will slug it out with Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Angola, and Tunisia will face Mali, South Africa and Namibia in Group E.
Many bookmakers have picked Senegal as favourites to retain the title they won for the first time in Cameroon.
With star names such as Sadio Mane, Kalidou Koulibaly and Edouard Mendy in their squad alongside new talents like Tottenham midfielder Pape Matar Sarr, Marseille forward Iliman Ndiaye and Lamine Camara, the Teranga Lions seem unstoppable in their quest for continental glory once again.
Algeria are also highly fancied despite a poor showing at the last Nations Cup. They beat Senegal in a friendly in September and recently started World Cup qualifying with two solid victories.
Following their heroics in Qatar, Morocco and powerhouse Nigeria are seen as challengers while Cote d’Ivoire also ride high in the odds, even if their team no longer boasts star names of the same lustre at Didier Drogba and Yaya Toure.
Egypt lost the last final on penalties and can still rely on Mohamed Salah’s brilliance, but some of the other big names – Ghana and Cameroon – have struggled to impress in recent fixtures.
The Africa Cup of Nations is a continental stage where players can earn global recognition. While Salah, Mane and Victor Osimhen are among the world’s best players headlining the 34th edition of the tournament in Côte d’Ivoire, there are some younger stars hoping to see their names in flashing lights as well.
One of these youngsters is 20-year-old Ivorian towering defender Ousmane Diomande, who despite his 6ft 3ins (1.92m) frame has an ability on the ball that gives him the qualities now craved by defenders in the modern era. There’s Ghana’s Mohammed Kudus, who plays for West Ham United in the English Premier League, Lamine Camara of Senegal, who made his international debut at the start of 2023 and already has eight senior appearances, scoring twice. Last year, the Metz midfielder help Senegal win the U20 AFCON title in the summer, and he was subsequently named CAF Young Player of the Year, following in the footsteps of Osimhen, Achraf Hakimi and compatriot Sarr, who won the award in 2022.
Another emerging star is Morocco’s 19-year-old prodigy Bilal El Khannous of Belgian side Genk, where he has gone on to become a regular fixture in attacking midfield. This season he has three goals and three assists in Belgium’s Jupiler Pro League, and as well as being shortlisted for CAF’s Young Player of the Year in 2023, he also won the U23 AFCON with Morocco last year.
Also, Issa Kabore of Burkina Faso, who was voted AFCON’s Best Young Player in the previous edition, is a rising star dreaming to make his mark once again and becoming one of the most outstanding players in Cote d’Ivoire.
Well, talking about emerging stars to watch at the 2023 AFCON, it’s rather very sad that Nigeria will be without the Bayer Leverkusen striker Victor Boniface who suffered a groin injury while at the Super Eagles camp in Dubai. It’s a huge blow to the country’s hopes of lifting a fourth AFCON title. The 23-year-old Boniface has enjoyed a breakout season, after taking the Bundesliga by storm. His exploits had propelled his club to the top of German football summit heading into the winter break. He is an exciting player who score goals, opens up defences with his dribbling runs and provides a good number of assists for his teammates.
He has already scored 18 goals, created eight assists in 23 appearances in the German topflight this season and won the Rookie of the Month four times and he’s in the running for a fifth.
Basically, this is the sort of player Nigeria will miss at the AFCON and in his absence, the Eagles have lost imagination and creativity in the final third. He would have complimented Osimhen a great deal upfront and the team would have had a sharper and more creative attack.
Without Boniface, Eagles sweat merchant Jose Peseiro now has to change tactics in the after he had adopted the 4-4-2 formation to specially take in the Bayer Leverkusen striker along with Victor Osimhen. In Cote d’Ivoire we may likely see the coach deploying a 3-4-3 formation with Osimhen as the lone arrowhead of the strike force.
Now, the big question: who will win the 2023 AFCON? Well, when Cote d’Ivoire last hosted the tournament 40 years ago, it was Cameroon who emerged victorious defeating Nigeria’s Green Eagles 3-1 in a memorable final. The Indomitable Lions then paraded the likes of Roger Milla, Emmanuel Kunde and Theophilus Abega, while the Eagles had Stephen Keshi, Muda Lawal, who scored only Nigeria’s goal, Rashidi Yekini, Humphrey Edobor, Chibozur Ehilegbu, Dahiru Sadi and Henry Nwosu among others. Though, it’s quite difficult to predict a winner or speculate on having another Cameroon vs Nigeria final, I can give you some general insights into how the 2023 AFCON winner will emerge.
The strength and quality of a team’s squad are crucial factors in determining their chances of success. The team that has a talented and well-balanced roster, featuring skilled players in key positions, including goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, and forwards with a good mix of experienced veterans and emerging talents has 70 per cent chance of winning the tournament.
Additionally, the experience and tactical acumen of the team’s coach or manager can significantly impact a team’s performance. Managers who have a successful track record in international football or have led teams to previous tournament victories hold the aces. Their ability to strategize, motivate players, and make effective in-game decisions can influence a team’s chances of success.
Finally, it’s important to acknowledge that luck and random factors can also play a role in tournament outcomes. Unexpected events, such as injuries, red cards, refereeing decisions, or goalkeeping errors, can influence the course of matches and ultimately determine the winners of the tournament.
With all these factors in mind, if I am compelled to pick potential champions from the mist of contenders, I say, Senegal or Morocco … and perhaps Nigeria, who knows?
