Former Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) winner Yaya Toure has revealed his favourites for the upcoming 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), notably omitting Ghana from his list of top contenders.
The ex-Manchester City midfielder shared his insights on the teams participating in the tournament set to take place in his home country, Ivory Coast.
Toure, who clinched the AFCON title with Ivory Coast in 2015, acknowledged his bias towards his homeland but emphasised the notable form of certain teams during the qualifiers.
“It’s normal to have a preference for your own country,” Toure stated, as reported by Afrique Sports. “Côte d’Ivoire has a strong team and many talented and experienced players. But if I had to choose the teams I think are favorites, I’d say Senegal, Morocco, Guinea-Bissau, and South Africa. They had an impressive qualifying campaign.”
Despite Yaya Toure’s exclusion of Ghana from his favourites, the Black Stars, led by coach Chris Hughton, are determined to redeem themselves after a disappointing 2021 AFCON performance. Ghana are placed in a challenging group alongside Egypt, Cape Verde, and Mozambique for the tournament, is set to commence on January 13 in Ivory Coast.
Notably, Yaya Toure’s career highlights include leading Ivory Coast to victory over Ghana in the 2015 AFCON final, where they secured their second title through a penalty shootout.
While opinions on the favorites may differ, anticipation for the tournament is building, with each team eyeing the prestigious trophy in one of Africa’s most celebrated football competitions.