Africa Cup of Nations 2022 - Road to Semi-Finals

AFCON 2022 - Cameroon

All eyes on Africa, as the best footballers are playing for glory in the 2021 CAF Africa Cup of Nations. The tournament was planned for 2021 but delayed due Covid-19. Algeria are the current champions, but they are already eliminated from this edition, meaning that Africa will have new winners.

The first edition took place in 1957, and since then Egypt lifted the trophy 7 times, followed by Cameroon with 5 titles and Ghana with 4 titles.

This year will be either Cameroon or Egypt playing the final against Burkina Faso or Senegal, and we may witness a new country adding the name on the winners list.

The final is planned on the 6th of February 2022, and I am looking forward to see who will lift the golden plated cup. The current trophy was designed and made in Italy, and is the 3rd trophy awarded to the winners.

The original trophy made of silver is permanently held by Ghana as the first team that obtained three titles, while the second trophy is kept by Cameroon after they became three-time champions in 2000.

Group stage

The group stage was full of surprises, underdog stories and spectacular results. The reigning champions from Algeria were eliminated in the group stage, while Gambia and Equatorial Guinea qualified for the playoffs. Malawi and Comoros had a fairy tail journey at AFCON 2022 and qualified from the 3rd place.

Nigeria was to only team who one all the group stage matches, only to lose against Tunisia in the first round of the play-offs.

The best team of the Group Stage can easy compete in the top of any division in the world, with players like Hakimi, Pepe, Mane or Aboubakar. Mo Salah and Mane are missing but they will improve their performance in the playoffs.

Play-offs

Burkina Faso has written history after reaching the semi-final and will play against Senegal for a place in the final. Cameroon showed class performances up to this stage while Egypt looks the most solid team until now. Mo Salah's team eliminated Ivory Coast and Morocco before their clash with the host country.

Burkina Faso v Senegal on the 2nd of February and Cameroon v Egypt on the 3rd of February are hot games at AFCON 2022, a double blockbuster. If I may forecast the teams playing the final, I may say Cameroon v Senegal!

Top Scorers

The race for the AFCON 2022 Golden Boot is a Cameroonian job, with either Toko Ekambi or Aboubakar lifting the trophy. All the followers, except Salah and Mane, are out of the competition... and is hard to believe that the Liverpool players will catch up with the Cameroon strikers.