THE race for the AFCON 2023 trophy will kick off this coming week on January 13, where host country Ivory Coast will kickstart the tournament against Group A opponent Guinea Bissau.
24 teams all over Africa have qualified for the tournament, but as expected, only one team can be crowned champions of Africa when the curtain closes on February 11 2024.
Despite the tournament being full of tough contenders, here are five teams we think can win the biennial tournament.
1. EGYPT- Seven-time African champion, Egypt are among the favourites to win the tournament, having finished as runner-up at AFCON21. The national team boast of Liverpool's Mohammed Salah and Arsenal's midfielder Mohammed Elneny.
2. SENEGAL - Defending champions, Senegal will be hoping to prove that last edition's win was not a fluke as they intend to retain the title. Sadio Mane, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Edouard Mendy are the players to look out for.
3. MORROCO- The North Africans have shown how dominant they can be, having reached the semi-finals of the 2022 FIFA WC in Qatar. They have been crowned African champions just once. Yassine Bounou, Achraf Hakimi, and Hakim Ziyech are the top players in the team.
4. NIGERIA- The Super Eagles of Nigeria have been crowned champions three times, with their recent win coming in 2013. The team has one of the best squads on paper, with the likes of CAF Player of the Year, Victor Osimhen, Alex Iwobi, and Ola Aina on the list.
5. ALGERIA- The 2019 champions are not to be brushed aside as they remain a formidable opponent and could again take the continent by storm to win their third AFCON trophy. Players to look out for include Riyad Mahrez, Rayan Ait Nouri, and Houssem Aouar.
Other notable mentions include South Africa, Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Cameroon.
