The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) is set to kick off in the Ivory Coast, and anticipation for the tournament is skyrocketing among football fans in the continent.
Afcon has been Africa’s main window to showcase its talent for years and, since shifting to a 24-team format, it has become fertile ground for true Cinderella stories - such as Madagascar (2019), Gambia and Comoros (2021).
The 2023 edition is delayed due to the changes in the world football schedule after the Covid pandemic, as well as adjustments made for the 2022 World Cup.
Every Afcon tournament brings together a comprehensive set of stories.
The confrontation between north Africa and sub-Saharan Africa is always present; the standard of refereeing, an array of young talent and, obviously, a number of massive stars that carry a nation’s expectations on their backs.
The 24 teams are split into six groups, with the first two in each group qualifying for the knockouts. The four best third-place teams will join them too.
The Ivory Coast is ready, with six stadiums in five cities across the west African country, in what will be a significant moment for the country post-civil war.
Group A: Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau
Champions of the 2015 Afcon Ivory Coast are hosting this year’s competition as they dream of celebrating a third continental title.
For Les Elephants, the tournament is also a first chance to show the rest of Africa - and the world - a unified nation after years of bloodshed. Just like Didier Drogba did back in the day.
Nigeria are arguably sending one of the strongest squads to this tournament, with Victor Osimehn, Samuel Chukuweze and Ademola Lookman on the books.
They’ll be eyeing their first AFCON title since 2013.
Equatorial Guinea will look to grab a respectable third place and beat Guinea-Bissau in a small Guinea Derby, which could also help them nab a spot in the knockout stage - maybe thanks to their attacking duo of Marciano Tchami and Mama Balde.
A game to watch: Ivory Coast vs Nigeria. It’s a game that in any other edition could be a final or a semi-final. Head-to-head, two of west Africa’s finest football nations will likely be fighting for first place in the group.
This clash has the potential to become an Afcon classic.
A player to follow: Victor Osimehn is African football’s man of the hour. After a historic year that included a championship title with Napoli, and a CAF African Player of the Year award, Osimehn has quite a challenge ahead of him - guiding the Super Eagles to their first Afcon title in more than a decade. They’ll have the spirit of the late Stephen Keshi on their minds. Osimehn, who sold water bottles in Lagos as a kid, could complete a perfect peak year in his career.
A story to follow: A home nation’s dream and success in the tournament occasionally set the pace and atmosphere for the whole month. If the Ivory Coast make it to the final, this Afcon will be unforgettable. But if Sebastian Haller, Ibrahima Sangare and Serge Aurier leave the competition early, this might impact the vibes in the later stages of the tournament.
Group B: Egypt, Ghana, Cape Verde, Mozambique
Egypt and Mohamed Salah dream of making Afcon 2023 a statement tournament for the country that has won the competition more than any other - seven times. With it probably being one of Mohamed Salah’s last chances to guide The Pharaohs to the title, it has almost become a national mission.
On the other hand, Ghana are also looking to build on a relatively positive 2022 World Cup campaign, with their first Afcon win since 1982. Cape Verde always fields talented sides in Afcons, and their clash with another Portuguese-speaking country, Mozambique, could become a must-watch encounter, and a quality fight for third place.
A game to watch: Egypt vs Ghana
The history between The Black Stars and Egypt is storied, with fierce matches in World Cup qualifiers and Afcons past. The winner will likely top the group and gain some continental prestige.
A player to follow: Mohammed Kudus is the most exciting player in Ghana’s squad. A diverse forward who knows how to attack the space, play wide, or as a dynamic forward, attacking midfielder or even a target man if needed. Kudus has made tremendous progress in the past year - moving from Ajax to West Ham, and shining in the World Cup in between, has positioned Kudus as one of the most promising young Africans in the world.
A story to follow: Mohamed Salah will play in what could be his final attempt to win a continental title for Egypt. With everything he has accomplished so far in his career, an Afcon trophy is missing. A win would help to end an eternal discussion among Egyptians – Salah or Aboutrika - an African/Arab version of the Messi/Argentina script.
Group C: Senegal, Cameroon, Guinea, The Gambia
It’s the first time Senegal has arrived at an Afcon as reigning champions, but the Teranga Lions are heading to the Ivory Coast as an empire in the making. With continental success in a variety of age groups, Aliou Cisse’s team’s ethos is to build their heritage as the continent’s leading football nation.
Cameroon, meanwhile, are still disappointed with how they performed at the previous tournament at home. However they will still be shining from Qatar, when they beat Brazil 1-0 on the final day of the World Cup group stage. In Vincent Aboubakar, they trust. Naby Keita and Jose Kante’s Guinea has lost some quality when compared to recent editions of the tournament, but can still cause trouble.
The Gambia, the hit from the 2021 edition, are returning with their inspiring coach, Tom Sainfiet.
A game to watch: Senegal vs Cameroon promises to be a good encounter between the reigning champions and the last host. The two countries have developed similar projects that heavily involve former players - the Senegalese one has been far more successful. The winner here is likely to lead the group.
A player to follow: Ebrima Colley of Young Boys could be one of the tournament’s surprises. If The Gambia are to reproduce their fantastic 2021 debut edition, the Switzerland-based forward would likely be a central figure in coach Tom Stainfiet’s tactics, with his speed, flair and uncompromising attitude.
A story to follow: Senegal is an African football empire in the making. Making the 2002 World Cup generation an integral part of this side, it will be interesting to see if the Teranaga Lions can reproduce their success and build a dynasty.
Group D: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Angola
Algeria has an open debt to its fans. Their failure in the previous Afcon, and being unable to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar, has tarnished the reputation of Djamel Belmadi. He has previously managed to win the 2019 Afcon with the country, and saw them go on a 35 game unbeaten run in 2022.
Burkina Faso are occasionally seen as an enigma at Afcons. The Stallions always have quality and talent in their squad, but lack the vision and tactics to go all the way.
Mauritania will try to compete for third place, while Angola will aim to show Africa that, as well as having an excellent U17 or U19 team, they have a quality senior national team too.
A game to watch: Algeria vs Burkina Faso will be Group D’s main match. Algeria will be trying to guarantee a knockout spot already in their second game of the group stage, but a talented Burkina Faso side - with Issa Kabore, Dango Outtara and Abdoulfessal Tapsoba on their books - won’t make that easy.
A player to follow: Mohamed Al Amine Amoura The most exciting player for Union Saint Gilloise in the Belgian Pro League at the moment is the Algerian winger. He started his career at Setif in the Algerian Ligue 1, but has gone on to shine in the Europa League and Conference League. If Amoura shines in this AFCON, bigger clubs will surely try and lure him, the same way that Ismael Bennacer attracted attention in 2019.
A story to follow: Djamel Belmadi’s heritage is on the line. The legendary French-Algerian coach has managed to build a winning group out of the 2019 Algeria generation, leading them to win their first Afcon in 29 years. But he also failed to guide them to the World Cup in Qatar, and was knocked out from the last Afcon in a shambolic fashion by Equatorial Guinea and Sierra Leone. It’s on Belmadi to connect two Algerian generations together successfully, if he wants to keep his image at Les Fennecs as legendary as it is now.
Group E: Tunisia, Mali, South Africa, Namibia
Group E is a collective of talented squads.
Tunisia are always seen as dangerous, and are potential semi-final material. While Mali traditionally tops the list of the most talented squads at Afcons. Although there are no Adama Traores in their team this year, be sure Yves Bissouma and co. will push hard to finish in one of the top two spots.
South Africa are making their return to the continent’s main stage, and do so with a solid and talented team. If they can shock Africa like they did when they knocked Egypt out in 2019, it will be a success for the Bafana Bafana. Their neighbours, Namibia, aren’t arriving with big aspirations, but a victory in the southern Africa derby would be a notable achievement.
A game to watch: South Africa v Namibia. This international derby could develop into a thriller, as both teams and players know each other very well - this is one for the African football hipsters.
A player to follow: Peter Shalulile is the star of South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns, and for years he has been one of the highest-quality players playing in Africa. If Namibia finish third place or higher in their group, Shalulie will probably be the main reason for it.
A story to follow: When will Mali become serious? Les Aigles have been tipped to become dark horses of the competition for years, but that has never materialised. Maybe this time, with a deeper and more experienced squad, and a Premier League star as the protagonist, the Malians will take an extra step into the quarter-finals - or maybe more.
Group F: Morocco, DR Congo, Zambia, Tanzania
The final group contains some intense narratives. First and foremost, Morocco, the side that reached the historic feat of finishing fourth in the World Cup. The most successful African and Arab national team ever, Morocco are eyeing their first Afcon title since 1976 - their only one to date. With Oualid Regragui and a squad filled with world-class players, it is a possibility. DR Congo are always a threat, as the country is home to one of the continent’s main talent hubs.
Zambia, who surprisingly won the 2012 edition of the tournament, are here with Fashion Sakala and Patson Daka, while Tanzania will return after a tournament hiatus, and will be counting on PAOK Thessaloniki’s Mbwena Samatta.
A game to watch: Morocco vs Zambia will be an exciting clash. Not just for the quality football, but also for the meeting of an Arab team and an Israeli coach. Avram Grant, who guided Ghana to second place in 2015, is back, and will try to push Zambia to second place in the group. Be sure that the clash with Morocco will attract much attention from the Middle East, especially with the war in Gaza.
A player to follow: The World Cup’s success attracted much attention for a number of Morocco stars, but few immediately progressed to bigger sides. Azzedine Ounahi is one who made a switch, moving from Angers to Olympique Marseille and, after an unstable campaign, has the chance to remind the world how good he is - especially when he plays under Regragui.
A story to follow: Avram Grant is not a young coach, or a popular figure among African football fans and media. The fact that Grant has been given a chance to guide Zambia’s most talented generation in decades took many by surprise. Still, the veteran Israeli knows how to guide a team in a knockout tournament. He did just that with Chelsea, leading them to a Champions League title in 2007 and, as mentioned, with Ghana at the 2015 Afcon. Maybe Zambia in 2024 are next?
