Algeria, the favouriteDespite everything, Algeria is considered the objective favourite of this 33rd edition of the CAN, simply because it has not shown any weakness since it won in Cairo in July 2019 against Senegal (1-0). They are the perfect illustration, since in 2019, Mahrez and his teammates were not cited among the favourites, unlike Egypt, Morocco, Senegal, Cameroon or the Côte d’Ivoire. Many predict a big name will be at the top of African football table on 6 February rather than an outsider out of nowhere. The Covid-19 pandemic did the rest, precipitating the cancellation of several friendly matches (Algeria-Gambia, Côte d’Ivoire-Comoros, Gambia-Syria in particular). A foretaste of what will happen once the competition is over, when, as in 2019, other heads will fall …

Source: The North Africa Journal January 07, 2022 17:57 UTC