Akwaba, the mascot of the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast. Reigning champions Senegal, 2019 champions Algeria, and World Cup heroes Morocco will each believe that they can crown a period of success by lifting the gold in the Ivory Coast. Insult was added to very serious injury as they were dispatched by Cameroon in World Cup qualifying, bitterly missing out on Qatar. Then there's Morocco, perennial underachievers at the Nations Cup - they haven't won since 1976 - but now imbued with fresh conviction after reaching the semifinals at the World Cup in Qatar. The handling of TV rights remains a concern, with 'new kid on the block' - Togolese-registered broadcaster New World TV - mopping up the lion's share of the continental broadcast rights.
