Fresh off their run to the 2022 World Cup semi-finals. That said, solid defending can win tournaments. The Atlas Lions only conceded one goal in their first five games at the World Cup before their semi-final loss to France, and only conceded four in total in 2023. In 2021, Senegal won the Africa Cup of Nations with stars like Kalidou Koulibaly and Sadio Mane at their peak. 2012 saw underdogs Zambia surprise everyone to win AFCON.

Source: The North Africa Journal January 05, 2024 15:07 UTC