A few of soccer’s largest stars will showcase their expertise when the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will get beneath method in Ivory Coast on January 13.
Whereas the timing of the event has upset elite European golf equipment, the presence of five African teams on the Qatar World Cup 2022 has proved that football in Africa is coming of age.
File AFCON winners Egypt, led by their talismanic captain Mohamed Salah, will search for their eighth title. Morocco will hope their very good show on the final World Cup will translate into continental success, whereas Victor Osimhen will intention to duplicate his membership type for Nigeria.
Right here’s a take a look at Al Jazeera’s favourites to win the event:
Morocco
Morocco are the red-hot favourites after their historic run on the Qatar World Cup 2022.
The North African nation grew to become the first-ever crew from the continent to qualify for the semifinals in Qatar, the place they had been crushed by France.
By defeating Spain and Portugal within the knockout levels, the Atlas Lions had already made their very own historical past in reaching the quarterfinal stage.
Morocco’s supervisor Walid Regragui has been fairly clear that his crew’s process now’s to show that Qatar was no fluke by successful the AFCON title.
Paris St Germain defender Achraf Hakimi and Chelsea winger, on mortgage at Galatasaray, Hakim Ziyech stay the star points of interest. Sofyan Amrabat’s efforts in Qatar didn’t go unnoticed both, with Manchester United agreeing a season-long mortgage from Fiorentina with a view to signal a everlasting deal.
Bayern Munich’s Noussair Mazraoui and Romain Saiss of Al Shabab together with Hakimi type the event’s finest defence.
Youssef En-Nesyri carries some stress on his shoulders after the Seville striker needed to be defended by his supervisor in Qatar following criticism for his profligacy in entrance of purpose.
Morocco had been crushed within the quarterfinals by defeated finalists Egypt on the final AFCON. In reality, since successful the 1976 version, the Atlas Lions have solely reached the ultimate as soon as, in 2004, after they had been crushed by North African rivals Tunisia.
Senegal
Defending champions Senegal begin the event on the heels of favourites Morocco.
Their sole AFCON triumph in 2022, was carefully run with penalties required to beat Egypt following a goalless draw within the ultimate.
The Lions of Teranga had been the favourites from Africa to push for the latter levels of the World Cup in Qatar however the lack of Sadio Mane to damage dealt them a crushing blow.
Following a 2-0 defeat by Netherlands of their opening match, they overcame Qatar and Ecuador solely to lose 3-0 to England within the first knock-out spherical.
The emergence of Chelsea’s striker, Nicolas Jackson, signed in the summertime from Villareal, is a big increase to an already spectacular ensemble. The 22-year-old has scored seven occasions in his first 19 appearances for the Blues.
Pape Matar Sarr is anticipated to be the principle man in midfield and, whereas Edouard Mendy affords nice assurance in purpose, the formidable presence of Kalidou Koulibaly is the rock on which the power of the Senegalese backbone is constructed.
Egypt
“I wish to win the competitors” was the clear message from Mohamed Salah about his ambitions at AFCON as he departed Premier League leaders Liverpool.
Egpyt’s place among the many favourites rests solely on the shoulders of Africa’s finest – and arguably biggest ever – footballing expertise.
Salah helped the Reds finish a 30-year await a league title in addition to serving to them to a seventh Champions League trophy.
Regardless of his overwhelming membership success, the ahead’s dedication to his nation is unwavering however he might want to encourage all of the help he can get – from a crew that’s removed from star-studded – if the king is to attain the crowning glory of an AFCON title.
Mohamed Elneny a bit-part midfielder at Arsenal and Al Ittihad’s Ahmed Hegazy is the opposite title of notice.
Egypt can, nevertheless, level to their look within the ultimate of the final event – and their route to succeed in the showpiece recreation after overcoming Ivory Coast, Morocco and Cameroon.
A glittering previous for Egypt, a glittering current for Salah however can the 2 mix to fulfil the goals of the Pharoah’s biggest footballer?
Denied a shot on the World Cup however a play-off eliminator and denied twice within the 2017 and 2022 AFCON finals, the clock is ticking for the 31-year-old and his place in his nation’s historical past books.
Simply think about this crew 🤩
The CAF @FIFPRO Males’s BEST XI is simply 🤌#CAFAwards2023 | @FIFProAfrica pic.twitter.com/ZL9two84On
— CAF (@CAF_Online) December 11, 2023
Nigeria
The Tremendous Eagles have had their wings clipped of late – eliminated in a play-off for a spot on the Qatar World Cup by rivals Ghana and falling on the first knockout hurdle on the 2022 AFCON.
Nigeria had received all three of their group video games, together with a win over Salah’s Egypt, however Alex Iwobi’s sending-off in opposition to Tunisia within the spherical of 16 was expensive, because the facet slipped to a 1-0 defeat.
Nigeria’s squad arguably boasts essentially the most depth of all of the groups on the event and solely three AFCON titles will ache Africa’s largest nation, regardless of the presence of an Olympic gold medal of their trophy cupboard.
Iwobi, previously of Arsenal and Everton, can be joined within the squad by Fulham teammate, Calvin Bassey – the full-back was named participant of the match within the Premier League win against Arsenal on December 31.
The loss to damage of Wilfred Ndidi from the midfielder can’t be overstated. The very fact they’ll flip to yet one more European top-flight membership to name up a substitute in Royal Antwerp’s Alhassan Yusuf might soften the blow.
It’s in assault the place Nigeria can be anticipated to mild up the event with Victor Osimhen specifically.
The striker was Serie A’s main scorer final season as he led Napoli to their first league title since Diego Maradona grew to become the darling of Naples in 1990.
The just lately topped African Footballer of the 12 months can be joined up entrance by anybody of of Leicester Metropolis’s Kelechi Iheanacho, AC Milan’s Samuel Chukwueze, Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman and Bayer Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface. The latter is fourth on the listing of main scorers within the Bundesliga serving to his crew to the highest of the desk.
Each 🇳🇬Nigerian is Victor Osimhen!
Behold, your African Footballer of the 12 months!🤴
Congratulations @victorosimhen9 🦅
We’re tremendous pleased with you💪 pic.twitter.com/RjIE4rR8Em
— The NFF 🇳🇬 (@thenff) December 11, 2023
Ivory Coast
The hosts can’t be dominated out as contenders however the resolution to not choose Galatasaray’s Wilfred Zaha in assault will grasp closely over the crew if outcomes go in opposition to the crew. Courageous or silly – it’s headline information.
Nicolas Pepe, a membership file signing for Arsenal in 2019, will shoulder the load of expectation.
After solely 16 targets in 80 appearances for the Gunners, the ahead switched to the Turkish league and Trabzonspor through a mortgage spell in France with Good.
In the meantime, Sebastion Haller has but to seek out the web in 15 matches this season for Borussia Dortmund who’ve slipped to fifth within the league.
The crew is wanting the famous person standing it had within the days of Didier Drogba and Yaya Toure.
Maybe that is the second for the subsequent technology, on residence soil, to step ahead however a dark-horse tag feels nearer to the reality than that of one of many favourites.
Two names can’t go unmentioned among the many different contenders in Ghana and Cameroon.
Each had been World Cup qualifiers for Qatar 2022 however each underwhelmed within the group stage. The previous solely received their ultimate match in opposition to an already certified Brazil and the latter defeated in all three of their video games.
Andre Onana’s return in purpose, after he was sent home from the World Cup, will increase the Indomitable Lions immeasurably.
AFCON champions in 2019, Algeria, have the mercurial Riyad Mahrez in assault however their slide ever since that win has been made all of the extra painful by the rise of their north Africa rivals and neighbours, Morocco.
