AFCON 2023: TOTAL GUIDE TO GROUP C

AFCON GROUP C: Cameroun (46), Gambia (126), Guinea (80), Senegal (20) FIFA ranking in bracket

Group C looks like an entertaining one because this group contains two of the last three winners of this competition (Cameroun in 2017 and Senegal in 2022), coupled with the addition of reawakening dark horses Guinea and one of the surprise packages last time out The Gambia, we are in for some mouthwatering games in this group.

Group C Fixtures

Jan. 15th: Senegal vs Gambia (15:00 WAT)

Jan. 15th: Cameroun vs Guinea (18:00 WAT)

Jan. 19th: Senegal vs Cameroun (18:00 WAT)

Jan. 19th: Guinea vs Gambia (21:00 WAT)

Jan. 23rd: Gambia vs Cameroun (18:00 WAT)

Jan. 23rd: Guinea vs Senegal (18:00 WAT)

The Favourites are…

With due respect to the second-most successful nation in AFCON history, Cameroun. Senegal are the defending champion and will always pose a threat to anyone. While they might not be the overwhelming favorites for the title, they still possess some experienced heads to help them navigate the tournament coupled with some exciting new talents.

Watch out for this game.

Senegal became Africa Champion for the first time in their history on Cameroonian soil in 2022, twenty years after Cameroun defeated them on penalties in the final of the AFCON hosted by Mali. Poetic Justice?

The two teams meet in their second group games and not only is this a battle between two of the favorites but also between two former rivals on the pitch but now in the technical area. Aliou Cisse was Senegal’s captain when they lost the 2002 AFCON final to a Cameroonian team captained by Rigobert Song and both men will lead their sides out in this game as coaches.

The big question is…

In football, the term “Golden Generation” is used when a country is blessed with so many talented players at the same period and while this does not necessarily translate to trophies (cue in Belgium and England), the expectation from such a team is to dominate.

Senegal can boast of such a tag with reasonable success, with back-to-back World Cup appearances for the first time in their history (Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022), a first AFCON in the bag, and still one of the teams tipped to win in Abidjan this year. Only three teams have defended their AFCON crown (Egypt 1957/1959, 2006/2008/2010. Ghana, 1963/1965, and Cameroun 2000/2002)

Furthermore, the onus is on The Teranga Lions’ golden generation to join that elusive list.

The Group STAR BOY…

Maybe except for The Gambia, almost every team in this group can claim to have a Galatico in their setup. Guinea’s Serhou Guirassy has set the Bundesliga alight this season with 17 league goals for Stuttgart (Only Harry Kane has more), Zambo Anguissa was one of the shining lights of the Napoli side that won their first Scudetto in 33 years, and the Cameroonian international is one of the players to watch out for at this tournament but without a doubt, Sadio Mane is still the biggest name among stars that this group has to offer.

However, the Senegalese captain might have been plying his trade in the Saudi Pro League but due to his exploits in six good years at Liverpool and a one-year stint at Bayern Munich, few players from the continent can rival his popularity and achievement on the continents.

You might not know this but…

Cameroun coach Rigobert Song shares the honour of the most tournament appearances with Egyptian Ahmed Hassan as both men appeared in eight different editions of the AFCON and if Song finds a way to lead The Indomitable Lions to a sixth AFCON crown, he will become only the third man to have won the AFCON as a player and a coach, joining Mahmoud El-Gohary of Egypt, who did so as a player in 1959, coach in 1998 and Nigeria’s Stephen Keshi who repeated the same feat as a player in 1994, coach in 2013.