AFCON 2022: Who will conquer the world’s most disrespected international tournament?

Is there a more maligned International football tournament than the African Cup of Nations? Africa’s showpiece tournament has been battered and bruised but is still here to take its pride of place on the world’s footballing landscape.

Finally, Cameroon will showcase its people, culture and lifestyle by hosting the tournament this year. Politics, deficits, intrigues, egos, vendetta and a small matter of a pandemic are some of the issues that the country has faced after being confirmed as hosts four years ago.

It may well be the longest protracted hosting saga in tournament history,  but here we are now, and come Sunday 9th January 2022, the 33rd edition of the AFCON will kick off in front of a worldwide audience.

As with every football tournament, there will be favourites, minnows, underdogs, and dark horses.

The hosts

The Indomitable Lions host this tournament on the back of the election of a football legend, Samuel Eto’o as President of the Cameroonian Football Federation. An organisation that has been embroiled and embattled with different controversies.

With Eto’o comes a new direction, a breath of fresh year, and an opportunity for Cameroonian football to begin a new era with a success, by winning the tournament for the sixth time in their history.

With home advantage, you cannot write them off, although, this current team is not as star-studded as previous sides. The likes of Zambo Anguissa, Andre Onana, and Karl Toko Ekambi are standout stars and carry a huge responsibility on their shoulders to emulate their predecessors.

The underdogs

Every tournament needs an underdog, a team that can throw a spanner in the works of the established order. In this case, Cape Verde, Gambia, and Guinea.

Cape Verde have ruffled feathers over the last few years across Africa, last month they could have stolen a World Cup play-off place from Nigeria in the dying minutes of their final group game. The island nation also qualified undefeated in a group including Cameroon.

Gambia should not be underestimated either, having finished top of their qualification group which consisted of illustrious names like DR Congo and Angola. Finishing ahead of Gabon on goals scored, they have a huge point to prove that their qualification was no fluke.

Guinea complete the underdogs’ selection, with a wealth of quality in the form of midfielders, Naby Keita, Amadou Diawara and upcoming RB Leipzig star Ilaix Moriba, and a qualification run that saw them finish second behind Mali.

The dark horses

Burkina Faso had an incredible run to the 2013 final where they lost to the Super Eagles of Nigeria, but, they have not relented on that achievement with an unbeaten run through the qualifiers and look like a team with an outside chance of making a run for Africa’s Premier Football trophy.

Mali too, are previous finalists however, that was back in 1972. This current generation holds the huge burden of emulating their predecessors. Mohamed Magassouba’s men find themselves in a wide-open group with Tunisia the only major force.

Morocco have traditionally been a major underachiever, having have explored different avenues and tried different managers the outcome remained the same. However, this year, the talent available on the playing and coaching front places them as one of those to keep an eye on. The Atlas Lions might just fulfil their potential.

Tunisia are another North African outfit that have also underachieved over the years since their triumph in 2004.  Qualifying comfortably from a group that comprised of Libya, Tanzania, and Equatorial Guinea, Tunisia, just like Morocco, participated in the recently concluded FIFA Arab Cup, hence they have had competitive match practice to prepare for this AFCON.

The contenders 

Three of West Africa’s footballing superpowers fall under this category. With a combined nine AFCON titles between them, you do not know what to expect from Ghana, Nigeria, and the Ivory Coast.

Talent-wise, all three are in a good place, although Nigeria have suffered the huge blow of losing the top scorer from the qualifying rounds in Victor Osimhen, while Ghana are yet to find a goal-scoring hero since the departure of Asamoah Gyan from the international stage.

Ivory Coast are still in search of the cohesion and team spirit that existed in previous Elephant sides. They appear to be a balanced team on paper which may just be aided by the continuity they have from a coaching perspective.

The favourites

Without a shadow of a doubt, the favourites come from North Africa. Record holders, Egypt and defending Champions, Algeria are well prepared for the onslaught on Cameroon.

It is difficult to look beyond both teams, especially with their exploits at the FIFA Arab Cup. Algeria won that tournament defeating Tunisia, whilst Egypt lost the third-place playoff to Qatar.

With their AFCON squads only consisting of a few changes from the Arab Cup, both teams are playing at a level far and above the rest of Africa and have two players in their ranks that you can describe as Africa’s finest, Mohammed Salah and Riyad Mahrez.

Senegal complete the favourites conversation, in Aliou Cisse, they have a man who has the desire and the know-how to take them on another run to the summit backed by quality personnel in every area of the pitch.

A squad consisting of the likes of Sadio Mane, Edouard Mendy, Kalidou Koulibaly and Idrissa Gana Gueye have a great chance of helping the Taranga Lions to be crowned African champions following years of wait and anguish.

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