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What the Big Guns Think Going into the AFCON

By Ikio Biobelemoye

Jan 11, 2024

Welcome to our exclusive Q&A Sports Feature, where we dive into the minds of sports journalists. Get ready to explore the insights from the people who make the sports world come alive. This Q&A session covers a spectrum of questions, providing you with a front-row seat to their thoughts on AFCON 2023. Join us on this journey as we unravel.

Every competition has an expected winner that emerges and sometimes doesn’t, a dark horse that comes to limelight or remains in the dark, that goalie who proves that he can save the entire universe, that player who steals the show and bangs in all the goals, that player who everyone hopes would finally get their flowers, and that youngster that surprises spectators. We have picked the brains of some of the finest sports journalists to know who those are for them.

We spoke to seven sports journalists to get their thoughts going into AFCON, asking several questions. Here is what they had to say:

1. China Acheru, a veteran sports journalist and programs manager at Wazobia FM PH and author of the book “A THOUSAND TIMES ON THE SAME ROAD,” showcased much faith in Nigeria, tipping the African giants to win the competition.

China Acheru
  • Winner: Nigeria (sorry, I’m Nigerian)
  • Dark horse: Equatorial Guinea (well, not so dark these days)
  • Golden Boot Winner: Victor Osimhem (He’s the Truth)
  • Golden Glove Winner: Yassine Bounou
  • Best young player: Pape Sarr
  • Breakout Star: Stanley Nwabali

2. Mike The Pundit, a Multimedia Sports Journalist, who is gearing up to deliver excellent coverage of the 2023 AFCON live in Cote’ Divoire weighed in on the conversation.

Mike The Pundit
  • Winner: Senegal
  • Dark horse: DR Congo
  • Golden Boot Winner: Victor Osimhen
  • Golden Glove Winner: Yassine Bounou
  • Best young player: Simone Adingra
  • Breakout Star: Yankuba Minteh
  • How far your country will go/performance: Round 16

3. Testimony Ageh of Megalectrics, a passionate and fast-rising sports journalist gave his two cents and also tipped Senegal to retain their title.

Testimony Ageh
  • Winner: Senegal
  • Dark horse: Guinea
  • Golden Boot Winner: Mohammed Kudus
  • Golden Glove Winner: Yassine Bounou
  • Best young player: Lamine Camara
  • Breakout Star: Karim Konate
  • How far your country will go/performance: 1/2

4. Joy Ojeabulu, a well-grounded and passionate Sports Broadcast Journalist, tipped hosts, Cote’ Diviore to lift the trophy.

Joy Ojeabulu
  • Winner: CIV
  • Dark horse: Mali
  • Golden Boot Winner: Osimhen
  • Golden Glove Winner: Mohamed El-Shennawy
  • Best young player: Lamine Camara
  • Breakout Star: Karim Konate
  • How far your country will go/performance: Semifinal

5. Dorcas Koki, an astute sports presenter for Nigeria Info PH and Cool FM PH and an advocate for women’s Football (NWFL)

Dorcas Koki
  • Winner: Morocco or Ivory Coast
  • Dark Horse: Equatorial Guinea
  • Golden Boot Winner: Victor Osimhen
  • Golden Glove Winner: Yassine Bounou
  • Best young player: Nil
  • Breakout Star: Nil
  • How far your country will go/performance: Semi-Finals

6. BobMfonmma of Rockhouse TV, a sports journalist who takes the bull by the horns and aims to reach the highest of heights.

BobMfonmma
  • Winner: Morocco
  • Dark horse: Guinea
  • Golden Boot Winner: Osimhen
  • Golden Glove Winner: Yassine Bounou
  • Best young player: A. Lookman
  • Breakout Star: N. Jackson
  • How far your country will go/performance: QF

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

Victor Harrison
  • 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.

As we wrap up this Q&A Sports Feature, we hope you’ve enjoyed our two-part “Going into the AFCON Series.” Stay tuned for more exclusive interviews and captivating stories because, in the realm of sports, the final whistle may mark the end of a game, but the narratives and inspirations linger on. Until next time, keep the spirit of sports alive! If you missed the first part on the thoughts of the fans, you can still catch it on the website.

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