The 34th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations kicks off in Ivory Coast on 13 January, and the bracket is stacked tighter than ever. Senegal arrive as holders, Mohamed Salah’s Egypt hunt a record-extending eighth crown, and a new generation of Nigerian and Moroccan talent threatens to redraw the continental map. Here are the predictions that will shape the narrative from Abidjan to Yamoussoukro.
Group Stage Shockwaves
Group C is the tournament’s minefield: Senegal, Cameroon, Guinea and The Gambia. Expect the Scorpions to sting the Lions at least once, squeezing through in second place behind an efficient Senegal side that has not lost since the 2022 final. In Group A, hosts Ivory Coast will ride a tidal wave of home noise yet still finish behind Nigeria’s refreshed midfield of Ndidi, Aribo and the electric Simon Adingra. Morocco’sGroup F cakewalk ends with three wins, nine goals and zero alarms, while Tunisia and Mali scrap for the second ticket.
Knock-out Chaos
Round of 16: Nigeria’s depth overwhelms Burkina Faso in extra time; Egypt edge Algeria on penalties after a Salah master-class; Morocco cruise past Ghana; Senegal survive a red-card scare to see off Guinea-Bissau. The real drama comes in the late kick-off: Ivory Coast vs South Africa. A 119th-minute Sebastian Haller header saves the Elephants, but only after a VAR review that will be debated in Lagos cafés for years.
Quarter-final Line-up & Upset Alert
1. Senegal vs Egypt – revenge for the 2021 final, solved by Sadio Mané’s 87th-minute volley.
2. Nigeria vs Mali – a thunderous 3-2 sees Victor Osimhen hit a brace but Mali’s young枪的issoufa prodigal, Dorgeles Nene, announce himself globally.
3. Morocco vs Cameroon – Achraf Hakimi’s free-kick proves the difference in a chess match decided on tactical fouls.
4. Ivory Coast vs Tunisia – the hosts run out of luck; Tunisia’s compressed 5-4-1 smothers the wide areas and a Moïse Sakhi counter finishes the dream in the 92nd minute.
Semi-final Theater
Nigeria’s press suffocates Senegal’s build-up; Lookman, not Salah, proves the decisive wide forward, sliding home a 76th-minute winner. Morocco meet Tunisia in a north-African derby lit by fireworks off the pitch and relentless transitions on it. A red card to Tunisia’s captain for handball on the line allows Hakimi to slam home the penalty; 1-0 Morocco.
Final Forecast
Nigeria vs Morocco, 11 February 2024, Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan. The two best squad depths collide. Morocco’s World Cup semifinalists carry tournament savvy, but Nigeria’s average age (24.7) brings relentless energy. Scoreless after 90 minutes, the match twists when 19-year-old substitute Ibrahim Bejiu lobs the keeper in the 109th minute—only for Nigeria to equalize via a Victor Boniface header from a corner in the 118th. Penalties. André Onana faces off against Yassine Bounou. Nigeria convert all five; Hakimi skies the final Moroccan kick. The Super Eagles lift their fourth AFCON title, ending a 12-year drought and igniting party streams from Lagos to Enugu.
Golden Boot: Victor Osimhen (Nigeria) – 6 goals
Player of the Tournament: Achraf Hakimi (Morocco)
Breakout Star: Dorgeles Nene (Mali)
Goalkeeper of the Tournament: André Onana (Nigeria)
Bet wisely, but brace for the beautiful unpredictability that only AFCON delivers—where 90-minute scripts are torn up by a single thump of an underdog’s left boot.
