The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) begins on Saturday with a challenging match between Ivory Coast and Guinea-Bissau.
The 34th edition of the tournament is widely regarded as one of the most competitive in history, with many teams having a realistic chance of winning the title on February 11.
One key factor to consider is the unpredictability of the tournament. Here is a summary of each AFCON 2023 group and what to expect.
Group A: Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau
This group seems clear-cut on paper. Ivory Coast, the host nation, and Nigeria have stronger players than the other two teams, so they are expected to advance to the knockout stages without much trouble.
The Elephants are hosting the event for the second time and are aiming for their third continental crown. They last won it in 2015 with their Golden Generation. They have a young squad led by veteran Max Gradel, who was part of the 2015 champions.
Sebastien Haller, Nicolas Pepe, Ibrahim Snagare, and Franck Kessie are some of the players who should make qualification easy for the hosts. Nigeria, on the other hand, have often failed to live up to their potential at the tournament. They have the current African Player of the Year, Victor Osimhen, in their attack, so they are likely to get through. This is their 20th AFCON appearance, according to CAF.
Equatorial Guinea, who finished fourth in 2015, could pose a threat to the two favourites. They have some talented players who play in Europe.
Guinea-Bissau are playing in their fourth AFCON tournament, and they will face the hosts in the opening game, which is intimidating. Their game against Equatorial Guinea will be crucial if they both lose to the West African powerhouses.
Group B: Egypt, Ghana, Cape Verde, and Mozambique
Egypt has won more AFCON trophies (7) than any other country. With Mohamed Salah, they always have a shot, and that was evident in the 2021 edition, where they reached the final.
Ghana will be under pressure to end its 42-year drought this year. They have an in-form Mohammed Kudus and Athletic Bilbao striker Inaki Williams to rely on. Ghana and Egypt are the favourites to progress from this group.
Cape Verde has reached the quarterfinals and is playing in its second consecutive tournament. They will hope that winger Ryan Mendes can inspire them.
This will be the first tournament for Mozambique since 2010, and they will hope for good performances in a tough AFCON 2023 group.
Group C: Senegal, Cameroon, Guinea, and Gambia
This group features two giants and former winners of the tournament: Senegal and Cameroon. Senegal is the defending champion and is still one of the best teams on the continent.
Cameroon have always made an impact at AFCON, and although their squad is not as strong as it was a few years ago, they are always competitive. Therefore, Senegal and Cameroon should get through comfortably. However, Guinea could be a problem for them.
Guinea finished second in 1976 and has been a regular at the tournament. They will seek inspiration from one of the hottest strikers in the world, Serhou Guirassy, who has scored 17 goals in 14 Bundesliga games this season.
The Gambia made their AFCON debut in 2021, reached the quarterfinals, and are not to be underestimated.
Group D: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, and Angola
Algeria, the 2019 champions, are still one of the best teams on the continent and will try to bounce back from the 2021 edition, where they failed to get past the group stage.
Burkina Faso has been consistent in the last few years. They finished second in 2013 and third in 2017. They also finished fourth in the 2021 tournament and will be a strong contender to progress from this group. Their squad includes players like Edmond Tapsoba and Bertrand Traore.
Angola has reached the quarterfinals before and is a serious candidate to progress from this group. Meanwhile, Mauritania is playing in its third consecutive tournament and will try to cause some upsets.
