Senegalese star Sadio Mane has surprisingly added Ghana to the list of teams he believes are favourites to win the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) including Nigeria, Morocco and others.
While Senegal, Algeria, and Morocco have already secured their places in the competition, Ghana has to wait until September to know their fate.
The Black Stars fired blanks against Madagascar in June in round five of the AFCON qualifiers, taking their chance of qualification to the final day of the qualifiers.
In spite of these challenges, Sadio Mane, who led Senegal to AFCON victory in 2021, expressed confidence in Ghana’s potential to emerge as strong contender in the upcoming tournament.
He acknowledged that the AFCON is known for its surprises but identified the usual powerhouses like the hosts Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Egypt, Morocco, Ghana, Algeria, and Cameroon as the teams to watch.
“The AFCON is full of surprises, but we know the usual best teams like the hosts, Nigeria, Egypt, Morocco, Ghana, Algeria and Cameroon,” he said, as quoted by Joueurs Cameroonais.
Ghana, a four-time AFCON champion, has been eager to secure another title since their last victory in 1982. However, they have faced disappointment in recent years, losing three finals in 1992, 2010, and 2015, respectively.
