By Raymond Ebireri
As the date for the African Cup of Nations draws closer, all 24 participating teams have intensified training ahead of the biggest showpiece on the continent. The tournament is slated to take place from January 13th to February 11th, 2024, in Cote d’Ivoire.
The Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire will be hosting the 34th edition of the AFCON, marking the second time they will be hosting the tournament, having done so in 1984. The hosts have been drawn into Group A alongside 2013 winners and three-time champions Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau, with the clash between Cote d’Ivoire and Nigeria on January 18th set to be a fascinating encounter.
Other exciting fixtures to look forward to include Egypt versus the Black Stars of Ghana in Group B, Senegal against Cameroon in Group C, among others. Defending champions Senegal will begin their title defense against The Gambia on January 15th before squaring up to face the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon on January 19th in what promises to be another thrilling fixture. The top two teams from each group and the four best-ranked third-place teams will progress to the last 16.
As the tournament unfolds, some key players to keep an eye on include Victor Osimhen of Nigeria, Mohammed Salah of Egypt, Sadio Mane of Senegal, Riyad Mahrez of Algeria, Vincent Aboubakar of Cameroon, Mohammed Kudus of Ghana, etc. These players are currently in fine form for their domestic clubs across Europe and Asia, and the burden will be on their shoulders to lead their teams all the way to glory.
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