The 33rd Africa Cup of Nations begins on Sunday in Cameroon, after being postponed for a year due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Group E, which contains holders Algeria, two-time winners Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, and Equatorial Guinea, is ruled by BBC Sport Africa.
Fixtures
Tuesday, 11 January: Algeria v Sierra Leone
Wednesday, 12 January: Equatorial Guinea v Ivory Coast
Sunday, 16 January: Ivory Coast v Sierra Leone, Algeria v Equatorial Guinea
Thursday, 20 January: Ivory Coast v Algeria, Sierra Leone v Equatorial Guinea
Algeria
Manchester City forward Riyad Mahrez captained Algeria to their second Nations Cup triumph three years agoAppearance: 19thBest finish: Winners (1990 and 2019)Coach: Djamel BelmadiCaptain: Riyad MahrezFifa ranking: 29Nickname: Desert Foxes
Algeria will travel to Cameroon not only to defend their title, but also to set a new record for the most consecutive matches without defeat in international football. Maher Mezahi (Algerian sports journalist): Algeria will travel to Cameroon not only to defend their title, but also to set a new record for the most consecutive matches without defeat in international football. After putting Colombia, Mexico, Senegal, Nigeria, and Tunisia to the sword during their impressive 33-match run, Italy set the record at 37 last year after winning the European Championship, but the north Africans would be worthy holders after putting Colombia, Mexico, Senegal, Nigeria, and Tunisia to the sword during their impressive 33-match run.
Algeria will rely on Riyad Mahrez to deliver timely goals and assists at important occasions. Youcef Belaili, the unsung hero of the Algerian national team, stands beside the Manchester City winger. The 30-year-old is just as good a dribbler as Mahrez and has an unusual chemistry with Algeria pointman Baghdad Bounedjah, who he met as a child. Coach Djamel Belmadi will almost certainly start the same lineup that helped him win the 2019 championship. Although he used a dynamic 4-3-3 in Egypt, Belmadi has also used a more direct 4-4-2 in qualifying, which yielded satisfactory results.Algeria are clear favourites to win again in Cameroon, with to their tactical versatility, strong cohesion, and proven star power.
Sierra Leone
Veteran striker Kei Kamara scored the goal which secured Sierra Leone’s qualification for the Nations Cup
Appearance: Third
Best finish: Group stage (1994 and 1996)
Coach: John Keister
Captain: Umaru Bangura
Fifa ranking: 108
Nickname: Leone Stars
Sierra Leonean sports journalist Mohamed Fajah Barrie: Sierra Leone is making a comeback to Africa's greatest football competition after a 26-year absence.
Leone Stars are looking to advance past the group stage for the first time, but they'll need to be at their best if they're to do so.
Coach John Keister tried to bolster his roster with fresh players ahead of his country's third appearance in the Nations Cup finals, knowing how difficult the task would be.
Veteran striker Kei Kamara, the fifth all-time leading goal scorer in Major League Soccer, will be one of Leone Stars' key players. His penalty kick goal against Benin sealed qualification.
It will be difficult to defeat two-time champions. Ivory Coast is a country in Africa.
Equatorial Guinea
Former Mallorca, Middlesbrough and Birmingham City player Emilio Nsue featured when Equatorial Guinea hosted the Nations Cup in 2015
Appearance: Third
Best finish: Fourth place (2015)
Coach: Juan Micha
Captain: Emilio Nsue
Fifa ranking: 114
Nickname: Nzalang Nacional (National Thunder)
Juvenal Edjogo (Former international): Qualifying is an achievement for Equatorial Guinea, given they hosted the competition the other two times. They performed well in qualification at home, and I am hopeful that this trend will continue at the Nations Cup.
It reminds me of the Cinderella story. The players aren't from Europe's elite leagues, but one of their secrets is that they've spent a lot of time together.
Pedro Obiang is the best player, but he is injured, and there are just a few in La Liga, while Jose Machin (Monza) is in Italy's second tier. Iban Salvador (Fuenlabrada) is a midfielder with a knack for getting into tight spaces.
The captain, Emilio Nsue, hasn't played for a club this season. I know he's been working hard in the gym, but a player's most essential asset is his competitive rhythm.
In the offensive, there are a lot of swift players. The team's weak spot is defense — it's a long-standing issue – but there are other concerns.
Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast skipper Serge Aurier joined Spanish side Villarreal in October after leaving Tottenham Hotspur
Appearance: 24th
Best finish: Winners (1992 and 2015)
Coach: Patrice Beaumelle
Captain: Serge Aurier
Fifa ranking: 56
Nickname: The Elephants
Carinne Kassi (Journalist at La Nouvelle Chaine Ivoirienne): The Ivorian team is going to Cameroon on tiptoes after a poor run in the World Cup qualifying with a team in absolute disarray. Serge Aurier, Eric Bailly, Max Gradel, and even Serey Die are no longer names that conjure up images of glamour.
The Elephants' underperformance continues despite the acquisition of Wilfried Zaha, Sebastien Haller, Maxwel Cornet, and other reinforcements.
A team that will undoubtedly win the Nations Cup? When we have strikers who have difficulties finding the net, an almost non-existent defense, and no real leader to boost the squad as Didier Drogba did, the response remains divided.
Patrice Beaumelle, the coach, lacks a mastery of the locker room, as well as playing tactics. There is a long and winding path ahead of us.
As a result, the Elephants will arrive in Cameroon with little confidence, and their supporters, for their part, place little value on this team at the time.
blogpay
Total Comments: 0