The Africa Cup 2023, which despite its nomenclature will be held in 2024, will begin this afternoon and continue until Sunday, February 11, the day on which, after almost a month of competition, the grand final will be held that will crown the new champion. In this edition, 34th, the country hosting the tournament is the Ivory Coast, who will star this Saturday starting at 5:00 pm (Spanish time) in the opening match against Guinea-Bissau. The Ivorian team is exact, though far from the squad it had in the era of Didier Drogba, was assigned to the favorites to win the title thanks to a compact and competitive group and the fact of having the heat of the stands in its favor. However, he is not the only candidate.
In this sense, the choice is indicated in all forecasts as the rival to lose is Morocco then in the last World Cup in Qatar the men of Regragui was able to reach the semi-finals, stopping, among others, in Spain on the way. It just so happens that Morocco has only managed to win the Africa Cup once and that was way back in 1976, and within the North African team they consider it time to bring a new trophy to their showcases. Furthermore, the 2025 Africa Cup, which will be held on Moroccan territory, is on the horizon. The one in Regragui They debut next Wednesday (6:00 pm) match Tanzania.
Leaving aside Morocco, the team defending the title and also among the candidates to win the scepter is the Senegal of Sadio Mané and company. In his case, the debut is next Monday (3:00 pm) against Gambia. However, and despite the fact that the aforementioned are the teams with the most options, this is a truly open championship where teams like Algeria by Riyad Mahrez, the Egypt by Mohamed Salah, a Nigeria very strong up top although weak in the defensive zone or the ever powerful Ghana.
Four third parties, in the eighth
The format of the tournament ensures that there are no big surprises in the group stage. As was the case in the World Cup before the increase in the number of participants to 32 was implemented, the third in the group can enter the round of 16. In fact, the best four will do so, so it will be difficult for any of the title favorites to be eliminated without reaching the playoffs. However, in the Africa Cup anything can happen, including championships as unexpected as Zambia achieved in 2012.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
