The most prestigious football tournament on the continent, Africa Cup of Nations Cup, will be held in Cameroon from Sunday, January 9 to Sunday, February 6, 2022.
The one-month tournament which will stream live on Showmax, courtesy of SuperSport promises exciting encounters between Africa’s best, with the group stages on track to set the tone for the competition.
Five matches in the group stage can best be described as unmissable as heavyweight countries compete against each other for the much-coveted trophy.
Cameroon vs Burkina Faso
The first match of AFCON 2021 opens with a compelling contest between the host and Burkina Faso on Sunday. Cameroon has won the competition five times, and hosting the tournament will give them an extra boost to get a win against Burkina Faso. The Stallions of Burkina Faso as they are fondly called are also formidable. Burkina Faso was runner-up in the 2013 AFCON tournament, losing to Nigeria.
The indomitable Lions will rely on Onana, Matip and Ekanbi to lead them to victory. This match is definitely one to look out for.
Morocco vs Ghana
Morocco and Ghana will open Group C when they face off on Monday, 10 January 2020. Morocco won the competition in 1972 and will hope to lift the trophy again, after 40 years. Morocco is currently ranked second in Africa and will be out to build on its impressive run of form at the AFCON tournament.
On the other hand, Ghana has won the competition four times, with the last one coming in 1982. The Black Stars are ranked eighth on the continent, setting the ground for a blockbuster match between two heavyweights.
Egypt vs Nigeria
Group D promises a mouthwatering encounter between The Pharaohs of Egypt and the Super Eagles of Nigeria. The match is expected to be one of the biggest in the tournament, with both teams tipped to go far in the competition.
Egypt has won AFCON seven times, and with Mohamed Salah ready to captain his side against the Super Eagles, who have also won the tournament three times, there is so much to look forward to in the encounter.
Algeria vs Cote d’Ivoire
Algeria, ranked the third-best team in Africa, will provide an interesting matchup against Cote d’Ivoire in their group E encounter. The two are set to meet in their last group matches, which could mean a tournament-defining encounter.
Algeria has lifted the trophy two times and is the defending champion. Their opponent has won the competition twice, too, making them even. They will be looking to top the other in the trophy ranking.
Tunisia vs Mali
Group F promises a tough encounter between Tunisia and Mali. The former has won the competition once while the latter’s best performance has been a second-place finish in 1972. Both will be looking to better their performance in Cameroon.
Tunisia comes into the competition ranked fourth in the continent while Mali is ranked ninth. Both teams have historically performed well in the contest and will be looking to better it in Cameroon.
AFCON 2021 promises to deliver fantastic footballing encounters. While all the matches are worth watching, some are on track to produce finals before finals.
How do you catch all the action? It is simple, download the Showmax app, subscribe to Showmax Pro on your iOS or Android device to stream the live matches.