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Peter Green - January 10, 2024
The Africa Cup of Nations 2024 will feature 24 national teams from across Africa competing for the continental championship. The tournament is poised to exhibit thrilling football, with formidable teams like Senegal, Egypt, Nigeria, Algeria, and Cameroon considered among the favorites.
AFCON typically begins with a group stage followed by knockout rounds leading to the final. Group D includes Algeria, Mauritania, Burkina Faso and Angola. The group favorites are definitely Algeria as they have been one of the consistent teams to make it the championship race.
Going on, Algeria have won the cup twice. Their latest title victory was in 2019 and will be hoping to regain it this time around. Excluding Algeria, another prominent team from the group is Burkina Faso as the team qualified 13 times. Angola played eight AFCON seasons while Mauritania qualified just twice which is the lowest of all in Group D.
The Algerian national team’s recent AFCON displays have been impressive. They secured victory in the 2019 tournament, displaying exceptional skill and teamwork, showcasing an outstanding performance led by key players such as Riyad Mahrez. Their style of play and resilience on the field have made them a formidable force in recent AFCON editions.
Mauritania’s participation in recent AFCON tournaments marks a significant milestone in their footballing journey. Making their debut appearance in the 2019 edition, despite not advancing beyond the group stage, their presence signaled progress and determination to compete at the continental level, gaining invaluable experience for future competitions.
Burkina Faso has exhibited commendable performances in past AFCON tournaments. Notably, they reached the final in 2013, displaying exceptional teamwork and resilience throughout the competition. Though falling short of the title, their impressive run showcased their ability to compete at a high level in African football.
Angola’s AFCON campaigns in recent years have seen a mix of performances. While they’ve experienced challenges progressing beyond the group stage, their participation in multiple tournaments demonstrates their consistency in qualifying for the continental championship. They’ve shown flashes of skill and determination but seek greater consistency to make a deeper impact in future editions.
Algeria’s history in AFCON definitely makes them the dominant side here. They have been the only team from Group D to have bagged a title. However,Burkina Faso also looks to have a good AFCON tradition in the back but an in-form Algerian side is likely to stand tall of all the four at Group D.
Mauritania, is likely to end up third in the standings considering the other three. However, we are not going to back that completely as AFCON is known for the underdogs climbing over favorites like how Algeria fell down to the bottom of Group E standings last season. By the looks of things, we expect Angola to have the possession of the bottom spot as they have not won a group stage fixture in the history of this competition.
