Who will win AFCON 2024? Prediction, odds, best bets as Ghana, Egypt, Senegal contest 2023 Africa Cup of Nations
The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, set to be contested through January and February of 2024, will bring all the best players across the continent together for its international tournament in the Ivory Coast.
Senegal are looking to become the first back-to-back AFCON title winners since Egypt completed their three-peat in 2010, while Morocco will hope to stake their claim as the best African nation following a historic run at the 2022 World Cup.
Hosts Ivory Coast triumphed back in 2015 but have fallen on tough times since, and could look to use their hom advantage to spark a national team turnaround as they eye improvement heading into 2026 World Cup qualification.
There are seven nations back in the competition after missing out in 2021, as South Africa, Zambia, Angola, Tanzania, Mozambique, DR Congo, and Namibia all return. That comes as the likes of Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Malawi, Sudan, Gabon, Zimbabwe, and Comoros failed to qualify.
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Africa Cup of Nations 2024 prediction, odds
Prediction:Morocco (+550 on DraftKings)
It's certainly no shock to see the highest-ranked side and betting favourites chosen as likely winners, but there's plenty of reason as to why.
Morocco became the first African nation to ever reach the World Cup semifinals in 2022, led by the exceptional goalkeeping of Yassine Bounou, and they have a host of other players serving key roles for their clubs. Sofiyan Amrabat is still getting his legs under the table at Manchester United, but knows his national team role well, and Achraf Hakimi is undoubtedly a world-class full-back at PSG.
Picking a favourite isn't a bad ploy. Senegal triumphed three years ago as the highest-ranked side in the field, while finishing runners-up in 2019 also as the top-ranked team. Ivory Coast won in 2015 as the second-highest ranked side, with highest-ranked Ghana finishing in second that year as well.
The Atlas Lions have not made the final since winning their only title in 1976, making a habit of disappointing in this competition of late, but it's finally time for them to prove they're the best team in Africa.
Who will advance from the AFCON 2024 group stage?
In the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, all first-place and second-place finishers in the group stage will qualify for the knockout round of the competition.
In addition, four of the six third-place finishers will pass through to the Round of 16 as well, with only eight of the 24 participants eliminated in the group phase.
Group A
Predicted Winner: Ivory Coast
Predicted Runner-up: Nigeria
Predicted Third-Place qualifier: Equatorial Guinea
This group presents a very difficult draw for hosts Ivory Coast and well-established African powers Nigeria. Both teams have dipped from the heights they enjoyed through the last two decades.
Equatorial Guinea went unbeaten through 2023, including a 1-0 victory over Group E favourites Tunisia last summer and a 0-0 friendly draw with rising power Burkina Faso in October. They conceded just three goals through their seven 2023 matches, keeping five clean sheets.
One of Ivory Coast and Nigeria may have to hold their breath and hope to qualify to the knockout stage via the third-place table as Equatorial Guinea could be one of the tournament's best-performing underdogs. Even Guinea-Bissau could cause some surprises, having beaten Nigeria just last March in AFCON qualifying. At least one very deserving side will be going home from this quality four-team collection.
Group B
Predicted Winner: Egypt
Predicted Runner-up: Ghana
Predicted Third-Place qualifier:None
Like Group A favourites Ivory Coast and Nigeria, Ghana have also fallen from their perch among Africa's most successful nations. Yet unlike the aforementioned duo, they benefit here from a softer group draw. Egypt's defensive record is among the most stifling in the continent, but the lower-ranked pair of Cape Verde and Mozambique should provide enough opportunities for Ghana to see their way through.
Egyptian star Mohamed Salah won't have nearly the same attacking help that he enjoys at Liverpool, but he should feast on this group when the opportunities do arise.
Group C
Predicted Winner: Senegal
Predicted Runner-up: Guinea
Predicted Third-Place qualifier: Cameroon
Defending champions Senegal remain one of the continent's most star-studded sides and look well-positioned to challenge for back-to-back titles. Some of their best players like Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly, however, may have suffered from their moves to Saudi clubs, playing against lower-calibre players than they did with their former European employers.
Still, a friendly win over Brazil back in June provides as much optimism as anything, and they should run away with an easily winnable group. Cameroon's surprise performance in the 2022 World Cup will be in the minds of many casual fans, but they should be warned that it's gone a bit downhill since then. Defeat to Namibia in AFCON qualifying nearly saw them miss out on this competition altogether, and they are vulnerable to attacking duds.
Guinea could spring an upset this tournament, coming very close to upsetting Egypt in AFCON qualifying last summer.
Group D
Predicted Winner: Algeria
Predicted Runner-up: Burkina Faso
Predicted Third-Place qualifier:None
After their utter disaster in 2021 where Algeria embarrassingly finished bottom of their group, the Fennec Foxes have had the extreme fortune of drawing arguably the softest group in this iteration of the competition. Burkina Faso have quickly fallen from the new heights they reached last decade, while Mauritania and Angola are surprise qualifiers to the competition.
Someone has to finish second in this group, and that should provide Burkina Faso the chance to advance, given Mauritania slumped to two poor World Cup qualifying results against DR Congo and South Sudan in November.
Group E
Predicted Winner: Mali
Predicted Runner-up: South Africa
Predicted Third-Place qualifier: Tunisia
Tunisia were upset by surprise semifinalists Burkina Faso two years ago, unable to produce enough scoring chances to survive, but they seem to have turned that around in the months since. They were clobbered by South Korea and Japan in October friendlies, but thankfully for them AFCON provides very few fluent attacking sides to trouble them.
South Africa, meanwhile, could make a noise in this competition. Outside of a disappointing 2-0 defeat in late November to Rwanda, the 2010 World Cup hosts are in good form, even beating Morocco last summer in AFCON qualifying. Captain Percy Tau is in good attacking form with his club Al Ahly, scoring in the recent Club World Cup, and they could be a threat.
Mali won their group in 2021 ahead of third-place finishers Tunisia, and they sport a host of quality midfield players including Yves Bissouma who has proven vital to Tottenham this year, plus Amadou Haidara of RB Leipzig, Diadie Samassekou of Hoffenheim, and young Monaco star Mohamed Camara.
Group F
Predicted Winner: Morocco
Predicted Runner-up: Zambia
Predicted Third-Place qualifier: DR Congo
Chalk is the way to go in Group F, where title favourites Morocco draw a soft-ish trio of opponents – although none are to be trifled with.
DR Congo put forth a good showing in AFCON qualifying but themselves had a softer slate of opponents, and then managed to draw two of the same nations for their recent World Cup qualifiers in Mauritania and Sudan. Zambia likely present a bigger challenge for the Atlas Lions, as a 3-0 upset of Ivory Coast in AFCON qualifying last summer proved their ability to score goals by the bucket-load.
Africa Cup of Nations 2024 live stream, TV channel
In the United Kingdom, Sky Sports has the broadcast rights to the CAF international championship, with streaming available on its internet platform Sky GO.
