Izuchukwu OkosiThere are two former champions of the Africa Cup of Nations in Group B of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire with Ghana and Egypt in the same pool.
They are considered by bookmakers as the favourites to progress to the round of 16 to the tournament because the other supposedly two candidates vying for qualification from the group, Cape Verde and Mozambique, do not necessarily inspire confidence that huge upsets are on the cards.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelEgypt are the most successful African side in the history of the tournament with seven titles while Ghana last won it in 1982 when Libya hosted the rest of the continent.
Egypt are boosted by Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah captained the Pharaohs to the final of the 2021 AFCON final where they lost to Senegal also led by his former Reds teammate Sadio Mane in the penalty shootout.
The Egyptians have not won the tournament in 13 years running now so are hard-pressed to impress in Cote d’Ivoire. They will contend for the leadership of the group with Ghana who also have a couple of in-form players making great strides across Europe.
The duo of Mohamed Kudus (West Ham United), Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace) and Inaki Williams (Athletic Bilbao) are some of the Black Stars hoping to twinkle when action starts in Group B.
Dede Ayew, Jordan’s older brother (both are sons of the legendary Abedi ‘Pele’ Ayew) continues to divide opinions as large sections of Ghanaians, believe his best years as a player is well past him.
As for Mozambique, they have not been regular in appearing at the AFCON since their debut in Egypt in 1986.
The Mambas have a bunch of hungry and passionate players keen to prove that they are not just also-rans.
They will have perhaps the oldest player in the tournament with 40-year-old Elias Pelembe (Domingues) as one of the special stories of the tournament.
Cape Verde will be buoyed by the presence of numerous European and Asian-based players in their teams which have in no small ways improved the rankings and experience of the side.
Can they upset the big boys in this group? It’s a possibility but doing that against Egypt particularly could be a herculean task. Ghana might be an ‘easier’ team to navigate.
Prime Business Africa’s Verdict: Egypt seems a given to make it to the knockout stages of the tournament which will be broadcast live by a number of big pay TV providers but the right to qualification for the second ticket is a fight between Ghana, Cape Verde and Mozambique.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
Follow Us