The upcoming Africa Cup of Nations boasts an unusually high number of teams who have a genuine shot at the title. When the tournament kicks off this Saturday, fans can expect a fierce battle for the trophy which is currently in Senegal’s possession. As stated, several of them are aiming to lift the silverware, which makes the upcoming tournament extremely interesting and creates plenty of hype at the moment.
Meanwhile, we must add that the number of superstars on the field is huge, additionally spicing up the overall story.
Osimhen was deadly in AFCON qualifying 🇳🇬💥 pic.twitter.com/nOtM3XssbN
— LiveScore (@livescore) January 11, 2024
Check the odds here and see our short overview of the best teams in the tournament.
Morocco Continuing its Rise
Morocco is the first African team to reach the semifinals at one World Cup, and the Atlas Lions are determined to use the swing and the momentum from Qatar to win the African continent. They really won the hearts of all the neutral fans across the world a little bit more than a year ago.
The last time Morocco won the AFCON was in 1976, and ever since, this country failed to repeat that success. Head coach Walid Regragui is confident that his team has enough quality to go all the way, and that they are at least among the top four teams.
The biggest stars in this team are PSG’s defender Achraf Hakimi, Fener’s winger Hakim Ziyech, and United’s midfielder Sofiane Amrabat.
Other rivals
Egypt, a seven-time champion, is also vying for the title. They are keen to go one step further this time after narrowly missing out on victory in the 2021 Africa Cup final. And they have a secret weapon – the ever-impressive Mohammed Salah. Liverpool’s striker himself has a massive motive to redeem himself for the disappointment three years ago. Not only that, the Pharaons are one of the teams with the best chemistry because they play together for a long time.
Nigeria, boasting the African Player of the Year, Victor Osimhen, is another team to watch out for. With Osimhen leading the charge, they are a formidable challenge. This crew includes plenty of players who are in their prime years, like Forest’s Ola Aina, or Ahmed Musa, the captain.
Ghana, on the other hand, is banking on the leadership of Mohammed Kudus as they seek their fifth Africa Cup title. Kudus has repeatedly proven that he is a true successor of the legendary Michael Essien. The Ayew brothers are present as well, as well as Bilbao’s Inaki Williams.
Despite what many think, we have to put Cameroon on the list of the favorites because they have both the quality and the chemistry to be the best. Experienced forwards Vincent Aboubakar and Karl Toko Ekambi have Napoli’s motor, Frank Anguissa behind them, and United’s Andre Onana is in front of the goal once again. This alone is enough for big achievements.
Ivory Coast – Will the Home Field Help Elephants
Finally, we have Ivory Coast, a team that can count on the relentless support of their home crowd. With their passionate fans behind them, they have the potential to do anything. But not only due to fans. Ivory Coast has a fantastic crew. Let’s start with Dortmund’s striker, Sebastien Haller, the captain, Serge Aurier, who is in Forest, and also the excellent Odilon Kossonou, one of the important players in the current Bundesliga leaders, Bayer Leverkusen.
The pressure is high, but that’s always the case when you host AFCON. African fans are among the most passionate in the world, and sometimes, their desire to help their favorites creates a burden.
With such an array of talented teams and skilled players, the 34th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations promises to be a thrilling, action-packed tournament. Fans around the world will be eagerly watching as these football powerhouses battle it out on the field in pursuit of glory.
Here are AFCON BetXchange odds.
