Ahead of the start of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, we look at the top five countries who are favourites in no particular order to be crowned the next champions of the most prestigious title in the continent during the 34th AFCON edition.
Ivory Coast (Cote d’Ivoire)
Having won the competition in 2015, the host country will have one thing working in their favour, their home support, which will play a major role in their quest. The Elephants of Ivory Coast set out in search of their third Afcon title on home soil in Group A as they kick off the tournament after the opening ceremony against Guinea Bissau at the Olympic Stadium of Ebimpé, before facing another title contender in three-times AFCON champions Nigeria’s Super Eagles and ending their group campaign with a game against Equatorial Guinea.
Top Players – Wilfred Zaha (Galatasaray, Turkey), Franck Yannick Kessié (Al-Ahli, Saudi Arabia), Sébastien Haller (Borussia Dortmund, Germany)
Egypt
A record seven-time winner, the Pharaohs of Egypt are the most successful country in the tournament’s history. The Egyptians will be led by the formidable Liverpool talisman Mo Salah as they go in search of their eighth continental success, beginning in Group B with a game against Mozambique, before setting up a blockbuster clash with the Black Star of Ghana and ending their group stage against Cape Verde.
Top Player – Mohammed Salah (Liverpool, England), Mohamed Elneny (Arsenal, England), Mahmoud Trezeguet, (Trabzonspor, Turkey)
Morocco
The Atlas Lions of Morocco will be looking forward to winning their second AFCON title having won the 1976 edition in Ethiopia. Their exploits at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar where they emerged as the fourth best in the world, becoming the first African nation to achieve the feat has placed them as one of the top five countries to win the title as most of the World Cup players make a return to Walid Regragui’s Atlas Lions squad for the AFCON 2023.
Morocco will battle Tanzania in the Group F opener before locking horns with DR Congo and setting up a meeting with 2012 champions Zambia.
Top Players- Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain, France) Hakim Ziyech (Galatasaray, Turkey), Yassine Bounou (Al Hilal, Saudi Arabia)
Nigeria
Three-times champions Nigeria’s Super Eagles, already with the slogan ‘Let’s Do It Again’, are going into the African showpiece as the deadliest attacking team, headed by Napoli’s star striker Victor Osimhen who was recently crowned the best player in Africa at the CAF Awards in Morocco, will be aiming to win their fourth AFCON title after they last won the tournament in South Africa 2013. The Super Eagles kick off their continental title chase in Group A with a game against Equatorial Guinea before a titanic battle with host nation Ivory Coast in matchday two, while hoping to end the group stage on a high with a final game against Guinea Bissau.
Top Players – Victor Osimhen (Napoli, Italy) Victor Boniface (Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Germany), Samuel Chukwueze (Ac Milan, Italy)
Senegal
The reigning champions, the Teranga Lions of Senegal come into this tournament after a not-too-bad outing at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, led by coach Aliou Cissé who led the team to their first AFCON success in Cameroon 2021. He will look to dust off his thinking cap to lead the West African side to defend their title in Ivory Coast. Two-time African player of the year and Al Nassr striker Sadio Mané and Chelsea’s Nickolas Jackson will be under the spotlight for the champions at the African showpiece, starting their title quest in a Group C opener against Gambia, before trading tackles with Cameroon and a final group-stage clash with Guinea before the knockout stages.
Top Players- Sadio Mane (Al-Nassr FC, Saudi Arabia) Nickolas Jackson (Chelsea England), Ismaila Sarr (Marseille, France)
The Anticipation Builds
As these teams prepare for their opening matches, the anticipation among fans and analysts is sky-high. Each team brings a unique style and strategy to the tournament, promising a spectacle of high-quality football. The excitement is not just about who lifts the trophy, but also about the stories, the emerging talents, and the sheer joy of African football.