Technology was put to the test in an attempt to identify the teams most likely to win the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. However, as the first round of fixtures has taught us, anything can happen in the continent’s showpiece tournament. Players like the current CAF African Player of the Year Victor Osimhen, Mohamed Salah, World Cup semi-finalist Achraf Hakimi, Sadio Mane, Yassine Bounou, Andre Onana, as well as South Africa’s very own reigning InterClub Player of the Year Percy Tau will all be in action for a month that promises twists and turns, throwing viewers directly into a turbulent whirlwind of emotions. In this write-up, Soccer Laduma’s Junaid Benjamin takes a look at the favourites and whether they have it within them to go all the way.
The favourites
Opta Analyst gave a supercomputer the task of picking who was most likely to come out of the tournament as champions. It deemed that Senegal would successfully retain their title, giving them a 12.8% chance of winning. Host nation Ivory Coast are narrowly behind them with a 12.1% chance of winning the silverware on home soil. The Elephants are trailed by 2022 FIFA World Cup semi-finalists Morocco, who have been given an 11.1% chance of winning the lot. Algeria is below them on the list with 9.7%, followed by Egypt with 8.5% and Nigeria apparently has an 8.0% chance of marching to victory.
