Early in 2024, the 34th edition of Africa’s biggest international football competition, the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), will take place. AFCON 2024, which will be hosted by Côte d’Ivoire will not disappoint supporters. Play starts on January 13th but it’s already generating business with offshore betting sites.
Various interesting themes offer excitement, with stars like Sadio Mané chasing glory alongside potential new talents, old powers confronting rising challenges, and clubs seeking a first-ever continental triumph.
Who are the early favorites for AFCON 2024?
Senegal is first on the list of top contenders anticipating deep runs because they are the reigning champions. The Lions of Teranga have unrivaled quality and experience, and they are led by international sensation Sadio Mané, who helped the team win the previous tournament and earn African Player of the Year.
Even though manager Aliou Cissé will soon have to deal with retirement concerns, his elderly team is still full of game-changing players like Mané, Alfred Gomis, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Idrissa Gueye who are all set to compete for one more championship together. Senegal’s golden generation would be let down by anything less than the championship game, but being the favorites also means their odds are very short. As a result, pro bettors use these offshore betting sites for maximum profit if that’s the road they want to go down.
Despite recent setbacks, Egypt remains a perennial danger at the AFCON. Egypt, the reigning seven-time African champions headed by Mohamed Salah, were shockingly eliminated in the first round of the competition. Next year, the highly compensated European talents Mohamed Elneny and Salah, who play brilliant midfield, will be out to finally avenge that humiliation by winning the Pharaohs’ seventh continental championship on Ivorian soil.
As they aim for an outstanding sixth crown, Cameroon is also a contender. The Indomitable Lions are once again a formidable force under Rigobert Song’s leadership, despite internal federation unrest, thanks to an exciting combination of seasoned players like Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, from Bayern Munich and Vincent Aboubakar of Beşiktaş.
Intriguing challengers on the rise
Beyond the front-runners, intriguing African nations like Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire appear ready for a comeback after management turmoil dogged previous initiatives.
After thirty years without an AFCON championship, the tournament’s host country, Côte d’Ivoire, is back to try for a third victory. Yaya Touré, an invaluable veteran who is now retired, leaves the team.
Up-and-coming players like Sebastien Haller and Amad Diallo will now have to lead the young Elephants as they advance from successive early exits.
Patrice Beaumelle, the manager, has extensive experience with Ivorian football. Behind goal-scoring sensation Haller, moving deep into the knockout bracket on home soil is possible if Beaumelle unites the strong team.
Similarly, under former manager Gernot Rohr, championship expectations were restrained despite Nigeria’s recent discovery of a wealth of youthful talent due to tactical constraints.
The new manager, Augustine Eguavoen, wants to fully unleash the potential of Nigeria by building an offensive style that is proactive and suited to talented attackers like Victor Osimhen of Napoli, rather than suppressing their inventiveness in a reactive manner. After 27 trophy-free years, AFCON 2024 presents the Super Eagles with the ideal chance to reclaim their past glory, with contract distractions finally resolved.
Could debutants spring a surprise?
While entrenched elites have mostly benefited from past AFCON success, debutants Gambia and Mauritania enter in 2024 hoping for Cinderella tales. For both countries, qualification alone is a historical first; they now aim for even greater success.
The Scorpions from Gambia are the smallest-population AFCON team ever. Tom Saintfiet, the manager, used tactical adaptability and team spirit to engineer qualifying on a tight budget. Gambia, who rely more on collaboration than on individual skill from players like Ablie Jallow, arrive in Côte d’Ivoire as hapless underdogs prepared to carry out Saintfiet’s practical strategies. Despite their lack of heritage, they must not be taken lightly.
Another unexpected gift, Mauritania’s historic debut, was made possible by the great on field leadership of Aboubakar Kamara. This season, manager Amir Abdou oversaw impressive progress to guarantee their spot after they almost missed qualification in 2019.
Abdou correctly underlines the need of defensive structure in neutralizing stronger opponents, even if Kamara’s goals garnered media attention. With their ability to counter quickly, Mauritania was able to defeat more skilled teams in the qualifying round. Mauritania is not going to give up on the Ivorian beaches easily, even in the face of more powerful names.
It’s difficult to predict who will win AFCON 2024 since the field of carefully calibrated competitors is unknown following tumultuous years. However, the depth of the field guarantees competitive matches between bright prospects and seasoned champions in nine thrilling host cities. When the games begin on January 13th, AFCON 2024 promises something for every football fan, including a possible legend’s farewell dance and up-and-coming forces making their debut.
It is evident that a country’s past pedigree makes well-known nations like Senegal, Egypt, and Cameroon more desirable. However, it appears that the time is right for a new champion to rise to the fore and break the hegemony of the traditional powers, whether it is Nigeria launching a comeback under new leadership or host Côte d’Ivoire’s talented team finally reaching its full potential.
When the last whistle blows in February of next year, AFCON 2024 will have appropriately concluded by crowning a new continental monarch. Until then, we can only speculate.
Watch this space for updates in the General News category on Running Wolf’s Rant.
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