Who’s Going to Win 2019 Africa Cup of Nations?
The 32nd edition of Africa Cup of Nations is just around the corner, as the top national teams from the ‘black continent’ are entering their final phases of preparation for the tournament.
This year’s event will be held in Egypt, a nation which has won the most titles in the competition and that ended as the runner-up in 2017. The cup will last from June 21 to July 19, and it will gather a total of 24 teams scattered across six groups.
Football fans all around the world are eager to see the best nations compete against each other in Africa. If you have some predictions as to who might win this year’s Africa Cup of Nations, this review of Fanduel might help you take advantage of your football knowledge.
So, which teams are favourites to win and what can we expect in Egypt this summer?
Egypt
Egypt is the host of the competition, and since they have one of the best teams in Africa, they must be considered one of the favourites. They lost in the final to Cameroon couple of years ago, but they seem to be ready to lift the trophy again. Unfortunately for them, Mohamed Salah will most likely miss the Africa Cup of Nations due to injury, which will definitely lower their chances. This means that Elneny and Hegazi need to take the steering wheel and try to propel Egypt as far as possible. They drew an easy group, so advancing to the knockout stage shouldn’t be an issue for them.
Ghana
Ghana is, according to football analysts, one of the top candidates for this year’s trophy. Asamoah Gyan, André Ayew, Jordan Ayew, Richmond Boakye, and Thomas Partey are just some of the stars that are expected to perform well in June and July. Ghana has a tough draw considering that they are in the group with Cameroon, but both teams should progress over Benin and Guinea-Bissau.
Senegal
Although being one of the best teams in the competition, Senegal has never won the Africa Cup of Nations. However, many feel that this will be their time to shine. They are placed in Group C with Algeria, Kenya, and Tanzania, and should have an easy road to the round of 16. If they finish at the top of their group, they will probably avoid all the other contenders until semifinal, where they might face the host, Egypt. Sadio Mané, Edouard Mendy, Kouyaté, Sarr, and Gueye are just some of the Senegal stars that the crowd is eager to see.
Nigeria
Nigeria had a great chance to go far at the last year’s FIFA World Cup in Russia, but they missed it. Now is the time for them to retaliate and try to record the best possible result at the continental championship. They are the favourites in the group B with Guinea, and alongside a couple of debutants — Madagascar and Burundi. However, they might go against Ghana in the quarterfinals, which should be the first real test for them at the competition. The popular Super Eagles are resting their hopes in Ahmed Musa, John Obi Mikel, Victor Moses, Alex Iwobi, and other star players.