The Africa Cup of Nations is the most prestigious football competition on the continent. The tournament is organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), and while the number of teams increased over time, the format changed and, at the same time, the quality of football was raised to a higher level. Therefore, today we see African footballers as an important part of the football community at the world level and who play in the best football leagues in Europe and around the planet.
AFCON 2023 will be played in the winter this year, more precisely from January 13 to February 11, and the host country is Ivory Coast. Although this is the center of the season of almost all European football leagues, African players leave their clubs without thinking and go to defend the colors of their national teams, and football enthusiasts, sports fans, and bookmakers are happy to support them. AFCON holds a special place in the hearts of football fans, as it never lacks good and talented players, great games, and energy on this continent. During this period, everyone becomes "extra", and football fans get more of everything, more fun, more excitement, even bookmakers offer better offers along with BetWinner welcome bonus and different promotions. Therefore, we dedicate this article to the upcoming AFCON, where we will investigate key teams and analyze their previous performances, as well as players who could stand out at this championship.
Key Teams
Ivory Coast is the host, and reigning champion Senegal, but who will be the new winner of the AFCON 2023? Taking into account the current form, the way they qualified for the upcoming edition of the competition, as well as who are the main stars of the national team, the main favorites to win can be hinted at.
Nigeria
Nigeria is the first contender to win the AFCON title this year, and their permanent presence in the list of potential winners is supported by their previous performances and three titles. The core of the team this year will be talented and strong players, led by 25-year-old Victor Osimhen, who is at this moment one of the best strikers in the world.
Morocco
In 2022, Morocco created a real sensation and won over fans around the world with their spectacular games that led them to the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup and thus became the first African nation with such success at a major competition. However, on the home field, that is, in the AFCON matches, their performances are far from memorable, because they were almost non-existent. Regardless, the team as well as football experts believe that this could change at this AFCON as they were the first team to qualify, but also as the team has strength in depth and confidence gained on the world stage and their odds stand at 5/1.
Senegal
Senegal has confirmed all 27 players it is bringing to the exhibition of the best African national teams, and they are coming ready to repeat the success of 2021. Manager Aliou Cisse can also count on the first star of his team, Sadio Mane, who is currently playing for the Saudi Arabian Al Nassr. They will surely be one of the teams that will provide the best matches considering their wide roster, odds of 6/1 given by betting shops, and great players like Jackson (Chelsea), Matar Sarr (Tottenham), and Sabaly (Real Betis).
Players To Watch
Sadio Mane
There is no doubt that all eyes will be on the star and captain of the Senegalese team, 31-year-old Sadio Mane. It was he who played the main role in Senegal's victory over Egypt in 2021, scoring the winning penalty.
Victor Osimhen
The 25-year-old Nigerian is conquering the world with his performances this year and will definitely be one of the most successful players of this championship, with his abilities in offense, and he is especially known for his elite finishes, exceptional strength, speed, and rhythm.
Mohamed Salah
Despite the younger and stronger players, many bettors believe that Mohamed Salah will be the first goal-getter of this championship. The 31-year-old "Egyptian King" is still playing very well, he has climbed to the 5th place among Liverpool's top scorers, and it is believed that his experience and skill will be decisive in this review.
X-Factors for AFCON 2023
AFCON is a competition where every team takes the field with their game face on, and not infrequently they keep a few aces up their sleeves. So we can expect potential candidates to have a secret weapon and factor X ready for personalization at any moment.
For Nigeria, it will certainly be the midfield led by the masterful Joe Ariba, who can create the game and control the tempo. Along with the already mentioned Osimhen, who will take care of the goals, Aribo will certainly be the most important in the creation of the Nigerian game.Algeria may not have killer scorers like Mane or Salah, but they have an exceptional team skill that sets them apart and thus places them at the very top of African football. Strong and experienced players contribute both in defense and attack, especially in aerial duels, and are important for one of the most unpredictable teams in the tournament.
In the end, we can only wait impatiently for the 13th of January, when another football spectacle begins, where we will have the opportunity to watch the best African national teams and some of the world's best players. Sadio Mane himself said that this will be one of the toughest tournaments so far and that all participants will be maximally focused on one goal, which is winning. It will not be an easy take to choose the top tem or scorer if you bet, so we suggest live betting so that you can have maximum engagement at any time.
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