A new slate is here, the old one quickly forgotten. The qualifiers for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations are getting along quite nicely. And yet, the challenge is precise.
The objective for most of the teams is simple: make the draws for the group stages next year.
Even for the defending champions, Senegal, who won their first-ever major continental title in February, the motivation will remain the same.
Aliou Cisse’s men will look to qualify first and then hope to replicate their Cameroon success. Indeed, they are on their way with two wins on the bounce, Sadio Mane in inspirational form.
It is also fair to acknowledge that due to the increased number of participating teams, the probability of qualification for the top teams is high.
There are exciting groups in this phase. Hence, some fierce battles will go down this midweek.
Preview Of Afcon Qualifiers (Selected Fixtures)
Putting away the disappointment of the last AFCON, Algeria has begun this qualification series with intent. Djamel Belmadi’s men will look to make it two wins out of two when they take on Tanzania this afternoon.
Gambia is fast getting into the reckoning. They had a brilliant journey at the last edition. They will battle Congo to ensure their 100 per cent success so far.
Nigeria will be under enormous pressure from the fans when it takes on Sierra Leone in Abuja. New manager, Jose Peseiro, will be keen to win his first competitive match in charge after two friendly losses.
Group K which features Morocco, South Africa, Liberia and Zimbabwe is arguably the toughest. As such, tomorrow’s encounter between Morocco and South Africa will be keenly contested.
The 2021 hosts, Cameroon, will begin its qualification campaign with a trip to Burundi in Group C.
Mohamed Salah and his teammates will take on Ethiopia tomorrow. Egypt already won its first match against Guinea by 1-0.
And finally, the hosts, Cote d’Ivoire, will travel to Lesotho for their second match. The Elephants outclassed Zambia 3-1 at the Municipal stadium.
Predictions For Afcon Qualifiers
Tanzania vs Algeria (2)
Congo vs Gambia (2)
Nigeria vs Sierra Leone (1)
Morocco vs South Africa (over 1.5 Goals)
Burundi vs Cameroon (2)
Ethiopia vs Egypt (2)
Lesotho vs Ivory Coast (2)
