January 09, (THEWILL) – The TotalEnergies 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals begin on Sunday in Cameroon, after a tumultuous build-up and, in some quarters, still shrouded in doubt.
Yet, AFCON has arrived and hosts, the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, will kick off the campaign on Sunday.
Cameroon, who previously won the tournament in 2017, will be one of 24 teams vying to be the next African champions after Algeria. The Algerians enjoyed a remarkable 2019 journey to their second AFCON title, beating Senegal in the final, led by Riyad Mahrez of Manchester City and striker Baghdad Bounedjah.
Then, there is the challenged posed by another set of Lions, the Senegalese, who are the odds-on favourites to win it all. The Lions of Teranga, as they are popularly called, will commence play on the tournament’s second day.
Sadio Mane of Liverpool leads Senegal’s star-studded front line. Mohamed Salah, his club teammate, is the event’s brightest star and will be under pressure to lead Egypt to its first AFCON title since 2010 beginning against the Super Eagles of Nigeria.
Without strikers Victor Osimhen, Emmanuel Dennis, Odion Jude Ighalo and Paul Onuachu, Nigeria will be blunter in front than they could have been but caretaker coach Augustine Eguavoen will be relying on the country’s most capped player and captain Ahmed Musa, Villarreal speedster Samuel Chukwueze and Henry Onyekuru to get the goals.
Sebastien Haller, the Ajax forward, is another hot prospect for the Cote d’Ivoire at this year’s AFCON, the 33rd edition of the biennial continental competition.
Because of the worldwide increase in COVID-19 cases linked to the omicron strain, organisers are taking measures, and matches will be played in front of smaller crowds, with only vaccinated fans admitted.
There will be no postponements, and any side will be able to enter the field with just 11 players. Coaches should be able to navigate possible outbreaks with the bigger 28-player rosters and five substitutes (plus a sixth for extra time), following updated regulations from the Confederation of African Football (CAF), as THEWILL reported.
The host nation will start things off in Group A, as is traditional for big football tournaments throughout the world.
Cameroon is the top team in its four-team group, but it has a difficult first test against a strong Burkina Faso side. The other two Group A teams will face off in the capital, Yaounde, at the same Stade d’Olembe.
On Tuesday, the Eagles will kick off their AFCON 2021 campaign against Egypt, with Sudan and Guinea Bisau all in Group D of the tournament.
Cameroon is the overwhelming favourite to win Group A, with Burkina Faso and Cape Verde competing for second place behind the Indomitable Lions. Ethiopia is not given much of a chance to progress, but with a great first encounter, it could show the naysayers wrong.
Fans will be treated to four matches on the second day of the competition, Monday, January 10, as Groups B and C begin play with all teams present. The Africa Cup of Nations begins with a group stage, followed by knockout rounds all the way to the final, just like other continental championships and World Cup competitions.
Group stage
January 9-20
Round of 16
January 23-26
Quarterfinals
January 29-30
Semifinals
February 2-3
Third place
February 6
Final
February 6
The 24 countries are organised into six groups, each with four countries. The top two teams in each group based on points (and tiebreakers, if applicable) proceed to the knockouts at the end of round-robin group play, with three points granted for a victory, one for a tie, and none for a defeat. The four best third-place finishers will fill the remaining berths in the Round of 16.
A knockout bracket will be used to determine who will advance to the final. The teams will play 30 minutes of extra time if any knockout match ends in a stalemate after 90 minutes. If the tie persists, the winner will be decided by a penalty-kick shootout. In the event of a tie, the third-place match is the only one that will skip extra time and go straight to the shootout.
For the first time in the competition’s history, a Video Assistant Referee will be used in all 52 games (VAR).
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
