Forty years, 14 editions, 3 public holidays for each matchday and a reported $1billion dollars investment later, AFCON 2023 hosts Ivory Coast were almost bundled out of their own tournament in the group phase, as was the case in 1984.
A humiliating group-stage exit would have given a real-life experience to generations who only heard stories of the disappointment and heartbreak their fathers suffered four decades ago. But the saving grace of Morrocan Hakim Ziyech’s goal against Zambia helped the Elephants scrape into the knockout stage.
This is the 34th edition of Africa’s biggest football competition, so when Ivory Coast said “Akwaba”, the rest of the continent responded with superstars who are shinning across the globe like Mohammed Kudus, Mohammed Salah, Victor Osimhen and Sadio Mane.
The group stage has ended and the buzz it created was palpable; from the streets of Abidjan to social media feeds. Filled with upsets, goals, late drama, the 2023 AFCON is already being touted as the most exciting ever and here are some key takeaways.
FASHION ON ARRIVAL DAY:
Is it even an AFCON if there is no display of culture? Arriving in style at the tournament was the first trending topic as countries started reporting to their various camping base in Abidjan, San Pedro, Ebimpe, Bouake, Khohogo and Yammoussoukro.
The Ghana Black Stars were clad in beautiful Kente cloth which is usually won by Kings, Queens and royals on special occasions. The Super Eagles showed up in a white native with green designs while the defending champions Senegal made their presence known in a white kaftan.
All other teams looked their best upon touch down but team Ghana definitely won that competition. However, that was the Black Stars’ only victory in Ivory Coast as they could not shine beyond their outfits – they were eliminated in the group stage after two draws and a defeat.
ELEPHANTS OF IVORY COAST:
With the massive support from the Ivorians, especially after each of their match was declared a public holiday, the Elephants failed to live up to expectations. They recorded 2 defeats and 1 victory in the group stage, including their biggest AFCON defeat against Equatorial Guinea – the Elephants had never lost an AFCON match by a margin of 4 goals before.
The host country needed Morocco to beat Zambia for them to eventually qualify as one of the third best countries. The gods and ghosts of the 1984 AFCON heard the cries of aggrieved Ivorian fans. So as the whistle blew for full time in the game involving Morocco and Zambia, it was Ivorians who jubilated the most because that victory brought back hope.
Meanwhile, the only problem now is finding a new head coach after Jean Louis Gasset was fired.
Unlike Ivory Coast, former champions Ghana, Algeria, Zambia and Tunisia had to bid farewell to the championship. While surprisingly, teams like Cape Verde, Equatorial Guinea finished on top in groups containing pre-tournament favourites.
GROUP STAGE COACHING CASUALTIES:
After some African giants failed to make it past the group stage of the competition, their managers were at the receiving end for their poor showing. Six coaches including Ghana’s Chris Hughton, 2019 AFCON winner with Algeria Djamel Belmadi, Gambia’s Tom Saintfelt, Tunisia’s Jaled Kadri and Adel Amroude of Tanzania have either been fired or have resigned.
Ghana failed to win for a second time in an AFCON tournament. The woes of Djamel Belmadi heightened after he amassed 2 out of the 9 available points. That is 1 point more than the 1 point they got at AFCON 2021 in Cameroon. A mighty fall for a country that won the tournament in 2019.
While some coaches packed their coaching boots, others like Hubert Velud of Burkina Faso and Amir Abdou of Mauritania are tightening their tactics for the round of 16.
Hubert’s story is one for the books as he qualified Togo to the 2010 AFCON in Angola but didn’t show up for the tournament after the Togolese team were attacked and had to eventually withdraw. Hubert tried again with Sudan, however after qualifying the team to the 2021 edition, he was sacked. This year truly is his year as he finally made his debut with Burkina Faso and took the 2013 finalists to the knockout phase.
Mauritania’s coach Amir Abdou has been nicknamed the giant slayer after he led his team to win against Algeria. Coach Abdou also masterminded Comoros’ win against Ghana in 2021.
Meanwhile, Senegal’s Aliou Cisse remains unbeaten after after 10 AFCON matches.
SHINING STARS AT THE TOURNAMENT:
Countries arrived at the tournament with their best players. Some more popular and skillful than others however some stars regardless of where they are from will shine bright.
The 34-year-old Emilio Nsue who plies his trade for Primera Federacion club CF Intercity has been the talk of the town after he scored a hattrick against Guinea Bissau and a brace against Ivory Coast. The Equatorial Guinean is in the running for the top scorer award.
Senegalese youngster Lamine Camara has perfectly fitted into the senior team after he had a spell with their U-23 side last year. He crowned his good performance with 2 goals and a spot in the group stage XI.
GENDER EQUALITY:
The stakes may be too high when it comes to the men’s tournament, but some women have weathered the storm.
The glass ceiling for women officials was broken in 2021 when Rwandan Salima Mukansanga became the first female centre referee to handle an AFCON. This created a space to say yes, women too can be centre referees in the men’s game.
This year, Bouchra Karboubi became the first Arabian woman to officiate at the AFCON when she took charge of the match between Nigeria and Guinea Bissau .
She and five other female officials including Akhona Makalima, Diana Chikotesha, Carrie Atezambonh, Rivet Maria and Salima Mukansanga continue to close the gender gap when it comes to officiating.
Another trailblazer in the quest of positioning women in the right places is former Banyana Banyana captain Amanda Dlamini, who became the first female commentator at the men’s AFCON.
