Senegal, defending champion, and Morocco, semi-finalist of the 2022 World Cup, will appear as scarecrows, Thursday in Abidjan, during the draw for the next African Cup of Nations, organized in Ivory Coast, even if the field for this edition looks very open. Also in the first hat, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt and the host country, all former winners of the competition, are also among the main contenders for the continental title.
Six groups of four teams will be drawn and large posters are possible from the first round of this CAN which will take place from January 13 to February 11. Because hat 2 has a few clients and there also ex-winners, like Nigeria of Naples striker Victor Osimhen, Cameroon, Ghana and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mali and Burkina Faso complete this hat with the label of outsiders. The first and second in each group, as well as the four best third-placed teams, will advance to the round of 16.
Crowned in 2022 after its victory in the final against Egypt (0-0, 4-2 on the tabs), Senegal confirmed by reaching the round of 16 of the World Cup in Qatar, beaten by England (3-0). The teammates of Sadio Mané, recently transferred to Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, also finished undefeated in their qualifying group and even beat Brazil last June in a spectacular friendly match (4-2).
Best African team in the Fifa ranking (13th), Morocco which reached the last four of the World Cup, defeated by France (2-0), and which won the CAN under 23 in July against Egypt, seems the most serious rival of the Lions of Teranga. But their qualifying campaign was more timid with a defeat in South Africa (2-1), in particular.
The South Africans will be in the third hat, along with Cape Verde, Guinea, Zambia, Equatorial Guinea and Mauritania. Finally in the last hat, we find some little thumbs like Namibia which has only participated three times in the CAN in its history, alongside Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Angola, Gambia, quarter finalist of the last edition, and Tanzania.
Initially scheduled for June and July 2023, the CAN was postponed to be held in early 2024, in order to avoid the matches taking place in the middle of the rainy season. It will take place from January 13 to February 11 in six stadiums: Abidjan (two enclosures), Bouaké (center), Korhogo (north), San Pedro (southwest) and the capital Yamoussoukro (center).