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The African cup of nations(AFCON) kicked off on January 9 with 24 nations. The group stage has ended with a few surprises. Algeria is out of the Round of 16. Senegal qualified with only one win.
Background
The AFCON started in 1957, switching to a biennial format from 1968. The last time Algeria won was in 2019. Egypt is the most successful side with 7 titles. Since 2017 the tournament has followed a 24 team format like The Euros.
The current edition of the African flagship tournament is the 33 rd edition. Cameroon is this year’s host.
Current scenario
Nigeria has qualified without dropping a point and is one of the strongest along with Egypt and Senegal. Ghana considered a powerhouse of Africa has ended up last in its group. Ivory Coast and the host Cameroon have also qualified in their group.
The knockout stage matches will kick off on January 23. The final is on February 6. Unfortunately, India does not broadcast AFCON (Sorry football fans).
Relevance
AFCON started as a 3 nation tournament in 1957. Today it has grown into a 24 team competition. AFCON is sanctioned by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The tournament is one of the biggest continental tournaments in Africa. It is a matter of immense pride for the players to represent their nation and bring glory to their country. Africa has always been an underrated powerhouse of football with individual players performing for some big European clubs like Mohammad Salah and Sadio Mane.
AFCON provides players with an opportunity to prove
themselves on the big stage. It also showcases the potential of third world nations in
the world of sports.