Tag: AFCON 2023

Cote d’Ivoire and Nigeria are the overwhelming favorites in Group A. The track record speaks for themselves, both teams have a combined five AFCON titles and share more similarities than most. Cote d’Ivoire’s first title came the edition before Nigeria’s second, while their second triumph came exactly after Nigeria’s third triumph. The last time Les Elephants hosted the AFCON? Four years after Nigeria hosted and won their first-ever African title.

The fixture between both sides on Matchday 2 will carry significant weight, with many tipping the winner to go on and finish group winners. They have enjoyed classic encounters too. Sunday Mba’s beauty in the 2013 quarter-finals in a game where everyone wrote off the late Stephen Keshi’s Eagles. Who would forget Salomon Kalou’s mazy dribble and finish back in 2008 against Berti Vogts’ Super Eagles? How about Joseph Enakahire misjudging the flight of the ball, and leaving Didier Drogba one-on-one with Vincent Enyeama in 2006?

It proved to be Jay-Jay Okocha’s swansong, An appearance off the bench to salvage what was left only that it wasn’t salvageable. How about Rashidi Yekini’s special moment in 1990? Or Michel Bassole and his brace in 1994, which almost stopped Nigeria from earning a place in the final. The evidence that this fixture may have come full circle however is that both sides clashed in 1980, when Nigeria hosted the tournament and it ended up goalless. Segun Odegbami, Adokiye Amiesamaka, Christian Chukwu, Adama Konate and Laurent Pokou (whom the 2023 AFCON ball is named after), lined up on the day. Legends, the lot of them. This one would certainly produce more.

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The Wildcard

Should anything go wrong for the two favorites in Group A, the most likely beneficiaries would be Equatorial Guinea. The Nzalang Nacional are attending their fourth AFCON, and boy, have they made a mark. Coached by the wily Juan Micha Obiang, they have always advanced from their AFCON group. Their worst finish is a quarterfinal berth, achieved in 2012 when they co-hosted and in 2021 in Cameroon. They even finished fourth in 2015 when they hosted the tournament. It is not beyond the realm of imagination that a team that has aided the eliminations of past champions like Algeria, Tunisia and Senegal would not repeat the trick.

Group A stars to watch

VICTOR OSIMHEN (NIGERIA & NAPOLI)

The African King, what more needs to be said? A league champion, the reigning Capocannoniere winner, the leading scorer in the AFCON qualifiers. Osimhen is barely scratching the surface. He has already marked his African Player of the Year Award with goals in back-to-back games, including an assist that many thought was training ground material.

If he keeps up his form and leads Nigeria to AFCON glory, there is a possibility he is backlifting the Player of the Year gong next year. He already has seven Serie A goals this season in 12 appearances, and when he doesn’t play, The Neapolitans are as dysfunctional as it gets, the only more dysfunctional unit? The Super Eagles, who look like they can’t tear apart a piece of paper, let alone a defence in his absence.

FRANCK KESSIE (COTE D’IVOIRE & AL AHLI)

 Kessie has had a phenomenal past 24 months. The two teams he helped to titles have looked totally different without him, and the team he is on right now? They often look out of sorts when he doesn’t play. For context, his current team boasts four former Premier League stars. He is an anchor in midfield, a proper metronome. His stats back it up wholly.

His only goal for Barcelona effectively handed them the league title, everyone believes he was just as pivotal to Milan’s title success. He has already come up clutch for Al Ahli as well, scoring late winners and keeping them in games. He has 5 goals in 17 appearances already this season. If he brings a bit of that form to the national team, complemented by Seko Fofana, Les Elephants could go all the way.

JOSE MACHIN (MONZA & EQUATORIAL GUINEA)

The midfielder stands out as the biggest export out of Equatorial Guinea right now. A cultured midfielder, he is not your typical central midfielder, boasting good touches and a good carriage. If Machin is on song, with Ganet & Bikoro supporting him, the Nzalang Nacional are a force to reckon with.

FRANCULINO DJU (MIDTJYLLAND & GUINEA-BISSAU)

A fleet-footed forward, Dju has gone from playing in the UEFA Youth League with Benfica to taking Danish League games by storm. He has scored six goals through 14 appearances already in the Danish League, outperforming his xG. He has done it while averaging a shot on target per game, and he boasts two assists as well. A physical and proper forward, He holds the key to Baciro Cande’s team and their progression in Abidjan. Dju headlines the attack for FC Midtjylland and is a dangerous prospect. Mama Balde struck the only goal in an upset win over Nigeria in Abuja in March 2023. Moreto Cassama is beginning to look like who they thought he would be. Perhaps a familiarity with these opponents is beginning to yield results. A wild dog is on the prowl.

Mohammed  Salah has shown off a smart new haircut and beard trim ahead of his African Cup of Nations campaign with Egypt.

The Liverpool star, 31, has joined up with the Egyptian national team ahead of the continental competition which begins in  Cote d’Ivoire at the weekend.

Egypt reached the final of the African Cup of Nations last time out, but fell victim to a 4-2 penalty shootout defeat to Senegal after a goalless draw two years ago.

The Egyptian National Side posted to X (formerly Twitter), showing off pictures of Salah with his new look, and in training ahead of the tournament.

One Liverpool fan replied to the picture, saying: “5years younger with that new hairstyle. Good Luck king.”

The Liverpool star faced some stick online for his curly long locks during his last domestic games ahead of his exit to join up with his international colleagues.

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The 31-year-old scored one goal and assisted another in their 4-2 win over Newcastle United on New Year’s Day.

One Liverpool fan wrote: “He definitely saw them hairline memes from the Newcastle game,” while another added: “His barber saw the memes and said I gatchu.” 

Salah’s Egypt are in Group B of the competition, and will face Mozambique, Ghana and Cape Verde in their first three matches of the tournament.

While Salah is on international duty, he could miss up to eight Liverpool games, starting with the FA Cup clash against Premier League Arsenal on Sunday afternoon.

On Friday, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp joked that he was not wishing Salah much success with Egypt, as a short stay at AFCON would mean that the club’s star striker would be back in domestic action far sooner.

Meanwhile, former Ghana national team coach Otto Addo believes that Egypt will be Ghana’s ‘easiest’ opponent in Group B at the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations tournament.

Addo, who guided the Black Stars at the 2023 FIFA World Cup, recently mentioned that the lack of pressure will be his country’s biggest positive against Egypt.

 “I think the easiest game may be against Egypt because their team is very well-balanced,” Addo told GTV Sports Plus, as per KingFut.“They are the favourites in this game, so it is easier to stand behind when people don’t expect too much from you.

 “It’s easier than to play the so-called small countries which are football educated, know how to defend, and it will be very, very tough to break them down.”

Former Chelsea and Ivorian attacker, Salomon Kalou, has described the Super Eagles as a dangerous side the Elephants of Cote ‘d’Ivoire should be wary of at the forthcoming 2023 Africa Cup of Nations if they are to qualify from Group A.

Cote d’Ivoire who are hosting Africa for the second time since 1984, will face Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea Bissau in Group A

Speaking on the chances of the hosts against its Group A opponents, Kalou said the Super Eagles always show potential at AFCON the have appeared previously.

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He also described Equatorial Guinea and Guinea Bissau as surprise teams of the group who could put spanner in the wheel of progress of the other two nations in the group considered as favourites.

“It’s a group made up of very good teams, starting with Nigeria which is a very dangerous side. At each AFCON, the Super Eagles show great potential. During the last edition, Equatorial Guinea did well, and Guinea Bissau may be the surprise of the group,” Kalou told CAFOnline .

Kalou nonetheless affirmed that the Ivorians must respect all their Group A opponents if they are to go as far as possible in the competition.

“We will have to respect all the teams and above all, win the first match to start the competition well, because that is where everything starts from,” he added