No team has defended the AFCON trophy since Egypt won a third straight title in 2010, but Aliou Cissé’s team could be set for another deep run as they are the favourite to win the 2023 AFCON according to Opta analysis.
The Teranga lions will have to navigate Group C, which also includes Gambia, Cameroon and Guinea, who boast Stuttgart’s in-form striker Serhou Guirassy. The holders are given an 88.8% chance of reaching the last 16 and a 47.4% likelihood of topping their group.
- Holders Senegal are our favourites, with the Opta supercomputer giving the Lions of Teranga a 12.8% chance of defending the trophy.
- Ivory Coast are assigned a 12.1% chance of becoming the first home victors since Egypt in 2006.
- Morocco (11.1%) are the supercomputer’s third favourites after becoming the first African side to reach the FIFA World Cup semi-finals in 2022.
- Algeria are fourth favourites with a 9.7% chance of glory, while Egypt (8.5%), Nigeria (8.1%), Cameroon (7.4%), Tunisia (6.3%) and Ghana (5.3%) are the other teams with hopes rated above 5%.
Opta Prediction
Senegal won their first-ever AFCON title in Cameroon in 2022, beating Egypt on penalties in the final.
With a 12.1 % rating, Cote d’Ivoire, hosts of the 2023 edition, are tipped as the second favourites behind Senegal to rule Africa for the third time.
Morocco (11.1%), Algeria (9.7%), and Egypt (8.5%) all have a better chance of winning the AFCON than Nigeria (8.1%).
Nigeria, however, fared considerably better than Cameroon, Tunisia, South Africa, Ghana, and Zambia, who are all former winners of the championships.
