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Liam Foster - January 9, 2024
The entire focus would be on Group C to see whether Senegal can retain their title, and one team that would want to stop them would be Cameroon, given their great record in this event, while the table completes with Guinea and Gambia.
Senegal are the reigning African champions after defeating Egypt in the 2021 final, and they will enter AFCON 2023 as one of the favourites under Aliou Cisse. The Lions will strive to defend their championship with an offence powered by Sadio Mané and a defence commanded by captain Kalidou Koulibaly.
The inclusion of Nicolas Jackson and Iliman Ndiaye to support Sadio Mané in the attack would undoubtedly boost Senegal’s offensive output, and having players like Edouard Mendy, Cheikhou Kouyate, Moussa Niakhate, Pape Matar Sarr, Idrissa Gueye, and Boulaye Dia play at a high level would give the team greater balance.
However, it would be interesting to notice Senegal’s lack of depth in certain aspects of defence and midfield, which would affect their gameplan to go all the way.
Cameroon, the five-time AFCON winners, too, are heavy favourites in Group C and might pose Senegal’s strongest threat to winning the group. The Indomitable Lions finished third in the previous edition of the event hosted in their home country.
Cameroon does have some well-known players, including their captain Vincent Aboubakar, Andre Onana, Georges-Kevin N’Koudou, and Zambo Anguissa, but it will be interesting to watch how Rigobert Song’s team handles the absence of some prominent players, like Bryan Mbeumo and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting.
The 1976 finalists Guinea, just as in 2019, reached the knockout stages in the previous editions of the AFCON.
Kaba Diawara’s team, which includes some well-known players that play for some of the major teams, such as Serhou Guirassy, Mohamed Bayo, Amadou Diawara, Mouctar Diakhaby, Abdoulaye Touré, and their captain Naby Keita, would expect to accomplish something more significant this term. But their captain’s injury problems can be a major discussion topic.
The Scorpions, just as Guinea got to the quarterfinals of the previous edition of the tournament, although it should be noted that it was their first time they qualified for the tournament.
Assan Ceesay, the all-time top scorer for the Gambia national team, would be again poised to lead the line, while experienced defender and captain Omar Colley would be in charge of protecting their defence.
Senegal, led by their star Sadio Mané, is highly favoured to win the group owing to their offensive and defensive prowess when compared to other teams in the competition. Cameroon, on the other hand, would just lose out on winning the table due to the inexperience of the squad.
The third position is expected to go to Guinea, who would have a solid tournament, but are possibly going to miss out on the top two spots owing to their lack of depth, while Gambia’s inexperience would mean they would finish at the bottom of the group.
Prediction: Senegal, Cameroon, Guinea, and Gambia.
