The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations kicks off in less than 15 days and we cannot wait.
Kawowo Sports’ Ismael Kiyonga previews all the groups starting with Group A that has hosts Egypt, two time champions DR Congo, Zimbabwe and 1978 losing finalists Uganda.
Egypt
Nickname: The Pharaohs
Coach: Javier Aguirre
Afcon appearances: 24
Best Performance: Champions (1957, 1959, 1986, 1998, 2006, 2008 and 2010).
Key Player: Mohamad Salah (Liverpool)
Strengths: The Pharaohs have an advantage of playing in front of their own fans and they have a well-balanced squad. In fact, they have won three of the four tournaments they have hosted and will be eager to win another title on home soil.
Weaknesses: Despite having a quality team, Egypt seems to be more dependent on Salah and if he doesn’t come to the party, they struggle to pick results.
Secondly, playing at home could come with its own pressure from the fans and how they handle this will be very vital.
DR Congo
Nickname: The Leopards
Coach: Florent Ibenge
Afcon appearances: 18
Best Performances: Champions (1968 & 1964)
Key Player: Cedric Bakambu (Beijing Guoan)
Strengths: The Leopards boast of one of the best attacking players on the continent at the moment and with most players featuring for both TP Mazembe and AS Vita, the team chemistry is not in doubt.
Weaknesses: Despite having a plethora of attacking options, the Leopards seem to have a leaky defence and against well-endowed attacking sides, they will suffer.
Uganda
Nickname: The Cranes
Coach: Sebastien Louis Serge Desabre
Afcon Appearances: 7
Best Performance: Runners Up (1978)
Key Player: Denis Masinde Onyango (Sundowns)
Strengths: No team exhibits as much teamwork as The Cranes and that will be key in Egypt. They also defend well and in Onyango, they have arguably the continent’s best goalkeeper who inspires confidence.
Weaknesses: The Cranes may boast of a mean defence but have arguably the bluntest attack among the 24 nations in Egypt and always struggle for goals.
Zimbabwe
Nickname: The Warriors
Coach: Sunday Chidzambwa
Afcon Appearances: 3
Best Performances: Group stages (2004, 2006 and 2017)
Key Player: Knowledge Musona (Anderlecht)
Strengths: The team has a potent attacking force led by Musona and fans favourite Khama Billiat and play a high-intensity game which can destabilise any opponent.
Weaknesses: Their defensive abilities are questionable and often leave spaces behind for opponents to utilize.