DESERT FOXES FAVOURITES TO REIGN AGAIN
EGYPT and Nigeria should have little trouble making it out of this group.
Both countries are looking to re-establish themselves as continental giants. The Pharaohs, record eight-time champions, last won in 2010 and would love nothing more than success to go with their dominance of the club scene in Africa.
They have, in Mohamed Salah of Liverpool, a world superstar in the form of his life who should fire on all cylinders in Cameroon alongside Aston Villa forward Mahmoud ‘Trezeguet’ Hassan.
While they have the Europebased stars, the core of Egypt’s squad is made up of local players – 19 of the 25 play in Egypt.
Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz knows though that his big task is to qualify Egypt for the World Cup in Qatar although a good run at Afcon will not harm his standing.
It wouldn’t be Nigeria if they went to a major tournament without some off the field drama and true to form, chaos erupted in the Super Eagles’ camp.
They changed coaches – Augustine Eguavoen replaced Gernot Rohr – and lost the services of striker Emmanuel Dennis after his club Watford said they requested his release too late, while injuries and Covid led to other players pulling out.
Nevertheless Nigeria can’t ruled out as potential winners.
For the other two countries in the group, a good third place finish is perhaps the only chance of progression.
Guinea-bissau may be going to their third successive tournament under coach Baciro Cando. But, while they tend to impress in the qualifying round, they hardly ever make an impact at the finals. They have only ever got a single point in each of their previous appearances.
Can you believe that Sudan were once African champions? They won the tournament in 1970.
They are back at the finals for the first time in a decade, Sudan last participating in 2012 when they reached the quarter-finals.
No one will be betting on coach Burnan Tia leading the Jediane Falcons to a repeat performance.
ALGERIA are on a 33-match unbeaten run as they begin the defence of their title.
With a record unbeaten African run, the Desert Foxes should be confident to become the first champions to defend the title in the last five tournaments.
What they have got going for them is the fact that their squad has remained largely unchanged from 2019.
Manchester
City star be
Riyad
Mahrez and currently clubless Youcef Belaili should be the stars for coach Djamel Belmadi.
The Ivory Coast will provide stiff opposition for the title holders with the Elephants boasting five players from the English Premier League – defenders Eric Bailly and Willy Boly and forwards Maxwel Cornet, Nicolas Pepe and Wilfried Zaha.
It could be Ajax Amsterdam striker Sebastien Haller who proves crucial to the Ivorians winning a third title if he brings his club form to the tournament.
Haller matched the record set by Cristiano Ronaldo in 2017 by scoring in all of Ajax’s six Uefa Champions League group matches this season.
Equatorial Guinea are at the tournament for the first time via proper qualification, the National Thunder having participated in 2012 as co-hosts with Gabon and then being the solitary hosts in 2015.
The chances of them reaching the heights of those tournaments – quarter-finals and semis – are slim, the fact that most of their squad members play their club football in Spain notwithstanding.
Sierra Leone return to the biennial showpiece for the first time since 1996.
To reach Cameroon, Sierra Leone staged the greatest comeback in qualifying history, coming from four goals behind in Nigeria to draw 4-4.
Anything close to that performance and they could get a third place that might see them into the knockout stages.
Tunisia remain favourites to top this group. The Carthage Eagles have qualified for a record 15 successive tournaments since 1994.
They have won the tournament, lost in the final, twice got to the semis and have been to the quarter-finals on six occasions.
After a last four place at the previous event, they are expected to go all the way this time around and they have their hopes pinned on captain and striker Wahbi Khazriin.
They should top the group ahead of the Mali outfit that usually does well at the finals, the West Africans having reached the final and coming close on two occasions.
Mali will be looking at the likes of Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma. He will be supported by fellow English Premier League player Moussa Dkenepo of Southampton.
Mauritania are making back to back appearances after making their debut in 2019.
They arrive in Cameroon on the back of a pathetic World Cup qualifying campaign from which they got two points from a potential 18.
For Gambia, reaching the finals is a massive achievement given they were the only West African country never to have qualified.
A Covid outbreak at their training camp in Qatar forced the Scorpions to cancel build-up matches against Algeria and Syria.