It is another year to witness Africa’s finest talents play football in their motherland as the African Cup of Nations raises its curtains on Saturday, January 13, 2024 and draws it to a close on Sunday, February 11, 2024.

Nigeria would be looking for a fourth AFCON Title, Egypt an eighth, Morroco a second, Algeria a third and Ghana a fourth.

The Teranga Lions who became the 15th different Country to conquer the continent, breaking the 20 years wait since the nation’s finest side (the team that reached the 2002 World Cup quarterfinal) fell just short against Cameroon in the AFCON final earlier that year, would be looking to retain the title.

The 2023 African Cup of Nations would kick off in four days and Kristina Reports gathered words on the streets from the fans to know their takes on the tournament.

We would start with Victor Harrison, who prides himself on his in-depth knowledge of the NPFL and Bundesliga and is a strong advocate for Nigerian Football.

Winner: While it’s tough to predict the AFCON winner this year, my inclination leans toward North African teams like Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, or Algeria. The competition appears open, and I’m eagerly anticipating the outcome.

Dark Horse: Pinpointing dark horses in the AFCON is challenging, but South Africa, with their last title in 1996, might surprise. Keep an eye on them, as well as Guinea, Tunisia, DR Congo, and Burkina Faso for a strong tournament.

Golden Boot Winner: Scoring isn’t abundant in AFCON, but Oshimen could be a contender for the Golden Boot, possibly netting around 5 goals, depending on Nigeria’s performance.

Golden Glove Winner: Despite my limited exposure to African goalkeepers, I’m placing my trust in Yassine Bouno to excel and secure the Golden Glove.

Best Young Player: Watch out for Egypt’s Omar Marmoush, an exciting talent beyond Mo Salah. With his pace and playmaking abilities, he adds potency to Egypt’s attack. Would have been better if we had potential breakout stars like Nigeria’s Orban and Moffi but then we will do with what we have.

Breakout Star: The tournament is filled with promising talents, making it uncertain who the breakout star will be. The outcome depends on which player is most determined to shine until the end.

Nigeria’s Performance: While Nigeria appears strong on paper, recent disappointments have left many Nigerians cautiously optimistic. I anticipate their progression past the group stages but remain uncertain about going beyond the quarterfinals unless they demonstrate a heightened determination to make the nation proud.

Uche Emmanuel, an ardent sports fanatic weighed in on the conversation and also tipped Omar Marmoush to be the breakout star of the AFCON 2023.

Winner: Morocco

Dark Horse: Algeria

Golden Boot Winner: Victor Osimhen (Nigeria)

Golden Glove Winner: Anthony Mandrea (Algeria)

Best young player: Ernest Nuamah (Ghana)

Breakout Star: Omar Marmoush (Egypt)

How far your country will go: Quarterfinals (Nigeria)

Emmanuel Cookey, a sports enthusiast kept it short and simple.

Winner: Egypt

Dark Horse: Equatorial Guinea

Golden Boot Winner: Salah

Golden Glove Winner: Yassine Bounou

Best young player: Kudus

Breakout Star: Victor Boniface

How far your country will go: Quarter Finals

Seyram, A Ghanaian who keeps close watch on the Nigerian Premier Football League was overly confident in his country’s participation in the competition.

He said “We go win am.”

We stuck with Ghana and got the two cents of Andrews Sefa, a student of History and an extremely passionate sports enthusiast.

Winner: Morocco

Dark Horse: Guinea

Golden Boot: Victor Osimhen

Golden Glove: Bonou

Best Young Player: Mohammed Kudus

Breakout Star: Lamine Camara

Ghana’s reach: Quarter-finals

In all the takes, there is one common denominator and that is VICTOR OSIMHEN. Three out of the five responses tipped the African Player of the Year to be the winner of the Golden Boot.

The AFCON 2023 promises to be an exciting and entertaining one, keep it locked with Kristinareports.com for the next part of the “Going into the AFCON” series which will pick the brains of the Sports Journalists.