AFCON 2023: Predictions
AFCON 2023 starts on Saturday, January 13. Only one of the 24 countries can lift the cup on February 11. We took a quick look at the favourites:
Morocco
Since the 2022 World Cup, Morocco has been seen as one of the strongest favorites. National coach Walid Regragui led his team with Hakim Ziyech and Achraf Hakimi, among others, to a historic place at the World Cup. In their 6th participation they surprisingly won against Spain and Portugal, but were stopped by France in the semi-finals. Morocco eventually reached fourth place after also losing to Croatia in the consolation final. It was the first time that an African country could advance to a semi-final.
Senegal
In the previous edition, Senegal won on penalties against Egypt. They were one of the major contenders for the World Cup, but after an injury to star holder Sadio Mané they had to leave the tournament. They can also count on Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson this year. He has already scored 7 times in 19 games in England, and can also mean a lot for Senegal. The Senegalese backbone was immediately strengthened with captain Kalidou Koulibaly, and Pape Matar Sarr and Edouard Mendy also guided their team to victory.
Egypt
The record holder will be looking for the eighth title. Last year they reached the final, but did not score. They were also unable to compete against opponent Senegal in the penalty shootout. Egypt relies on the masterful Mohamed Salah, who must leave Liverpool behind for a while. He has already reached the final with Egypt twice, in 2017 and 2022, but has not yet been able to lift the cup.
Nigeria
Nigeria has suffered some setbacks lately. In the play-offs for the world championship it was eliminated by Ghana, and in the African championship last year it did not get further than the first knockout match. Captain Moses Simon, ex-player of KAA Gent, receives reinforcements from Alhassan Yussuf and Victor Osimhen. Yussuf has been playing for Royal Antwerp FC since 2021, Victor Osimhen is an important value for Napoli and was recently named African Footballer of the Year. Other key names include Kelechi Iheanacho, Samuel Chukwueze, Ademola Lookman and Victor Boniface. The latter is even fourth on the list of top scorers in the Bundesliga.
Ivory Coast
The host country cannot be ruled out as a contender for the final win. However, the choice not to have Wilfred Zaha in the selection can weigh heavily. Nicolas Pepe was selected. This attacker signed for Arsenal in 2019, but after 16 goals in 80 games he went to Turkish side Trabzonspor. Sebastion Haller has also yet to find the net after 15 games for Borussia Dortmund this season. We can perhaps label this country as an underdog, now that it has lost its previous luster from the days of Didier Drogba and Yaya Toure.
Bet on AFCON 2023
Do you want to make this torunament even more exciting? Take a look at the Magic Betting App or visit the website for the best online sports bets. Be sure to check out the various promotions. Take your chance and win!
