African Soccer
- Thread starter jose melendez
- Start date
The shift to 48 teams SUCKS, but it does help African teams who not only get a few more spots but get a reprieve from what was the toughest qualifying format (win your group or go home).
International footy truly is the best, despite the drop-off in quality.
Edit: And after you win your group it was a two legged tie against another group winner.
International footy truly is the best, despite the drop-off in quality.
Edit: And after you win your group it was a two legged tie against another group winner.
I dunno if it's that much less brutal.
Old format (1998-2022):
1) Top 26 teams get a bye, remaining 28 play a home-and-home elimination match (exact numbers vary by cycle with suspensions etc, but point is to get down to 40 teams)
2) 10x groups of 4, play 6 matches. Winners advance, everyone else goes home.
3) 10 group winners play home-and-home elimination vs each other, 5 winners go to the WC
The 2018 cycle reversed steps 2 and 3 (they played a second home-and-home to get down to 20 teams, then 5x groups of 4), the 2010 cycle was a little different because South Africa was hosting, and 1998 did not require a Phase #3... but it's basically always been the same thing. Winner-take-all groups which might be heavily imbalanced, and no sort of repechage to bail out anyone from a group-of-death.
New format (2026):
1) All 54 nations divide into 9x groups of 6, play 10 group matches. Group winners qualify for the World Cup.
2) The 4 best group runners-up will play single-elimination matches to choose 1 team to go to the inter-continental playoffs
It's basically still just as harsh, even with that ICPO fallback. Most group games will be crushing defeats for the lower ranked teams, some groups will be much stronger than others, and you either win your group or you're almost certainly screwed. Plus, they're having to consume a lot of international windows, starting with this one (Nov 2023).
If I had been advising CAF, I definitely would have suggested something like:
1) Bottom 25 teams drawn into 5x groups of 5, play 4 matches (1 vs each other team). Group winners (5) and 2 best runners-up advance (= 8).
2) 7 advancing and 29 teams with byes (=36) form 6x groups of 6, play 10 group matches. Group winners qualify.
3) Group runners-up (6) and 2 best group 3rd-places (=8) play home-and-home elimination. 4 winners will take final 3 WC spots + ICPO spot. Can determine that by ranking or have them play each other round-robin.
Schedule:
Round 1: Sept, Oct and Nov 2024 windows.
Round 2: March, June (2 matches), Sept, Oct and Nov 2025 windows. AfCON 2025 will be ~July 2025.
Round 3: March 2026. If you need to have the 4 winners play more to sort out the ICPO, do it in early June 2026, to give a few weeks break before the tournament starts.
And BTW, if you think that format is overwrought, just behold the sheer spectacle of the AFC qualifying format.
I should add that I hate it because most of the best teams are in North Africa, and I don't care about North Africa.
AFCON 2023 opens next week. (Don’t ask ask about the 2023…they’re supposed to be transitioning back to even years.)
Senegal is the favorite. They retain the most talented squad as well as their long time manager, Cissé. They’re going to be a tough out in this tournament, and might just win through dogged determination.
but Egypt is my favorite this go ‘round. After heart break in the AFCON final and WC qualifying, they are focused on winning this. With shades of Argentina in Qatar, Egypt is rolling on with the best player at the tournament and a mission to take the trophy. I think they will.
Many betting sites have Cote d’Ivor and Morocco as the co-2nd favorites. The former is hosting and has a strong youth movement coming up. The latter is coming off that incredible WC run.
If everything goes as favored, there’ll be an Egypt-Morocco quarterfinal tilt that should be immense fun.
traditional heavy weights Nigeria and Ghana are both a mess with FA problems and crappy management. But both Osimhen and Kudus, respectively, could single-handedly drag their squad on a long run.
My sleeper pick is Burkina Faso. They have their own golden generation emerging, all still early 20s. They could open some eyes here.
my other surprise is Zambia coming out of Group F. Morocco will come out on top, but DR Congo is vulnerable and Zambia has goal scoring, led by Leicester’s Daka. They are going to punch their way through.
Senegal is the favorite. They retain the most talented squad as well as their long time manager, Cissé. They’re going to be a tough out in this tournament, and might just win through dogged determination.
but Egypt is my favorite this go ‘round. After heart break in the AFCON final and WC qualifying, they are focused on winning this. With shades of Argentina in Qatar, Egypt is rolling on with the best player at the tournament and a mission to take the trophy. I think they will.
Many betting sites have Cote d’Ivor and Morocco as the co-2nd favorites. The former is hosting and has a strong youth movement coming up. The latter is coming off that incredible WC run.
If everything goes as favored, there’ll be an Egypt-Morocco quarterfinal tilt that should be immense fun.
traditional heavy weights Nigeria and Ghana are both a mess with FA problems and crappy management. But both Osimhen and Kudus, respectively, could single-handedly drag their squad on a long run.
My sleeper pick is Burkina Faso. They have their own golden generation emerging, all still early 20s. They could open some eyes here.
my other surprise is Zambia coming out of Group F. Morocco will come out on top, but DR Congo is vulnerable and Zambia has goal scoring, led by Leicester’s Daka. They are going to punch their way through.
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This looks like fun - it’s games are streamed on FuBo - in Canada - to which which I’m already forking over a fortune (EPL) so there’s that
Burkina Faso has been punching above their weight for a (recent) while now...
Mali could be alright, even without their Evertonian.
This tournament is always a wild card, though faves generally shine through (I guess this could be said of most tourneys)
Mali could be alright, even without their Evertonian.
This tournament is always a wild card, though faves generally shine through (I guess this could be said of most tourneys)
Whoever qualifies, I just hope it’s the best teams that can compete v the other continents (mainly v UEFA, who always seem to get the calls in these games)
But mainly rooting for Cameroon and Maroc
But mainly rooting for Cameroon and Maroc
I know Morocco had that great World Cup run and Egypt have been very strong lately, but West Africa have traditionally boasted most of the strongest squads on the continent and this year is no different. Senegal are the defending champions. Nigeria has loads of talent as usual. Ghana is down but still has many quality players. Ivory Coast is the host and pretty stacked (especially in attack). Cameroon is still very good coming off of a World Cup.
I’ve always enjoyed watching West African teams ever since I was a kid and Cameroon made that run in Italia 90. I still consider that 1994 Nigeria team one of the most fun to watch. It had Jay Jay Okocha, one of my favorite all time players (so nice they named him twice), who was so filthy good that he made those early 2000s Big Sam Bolton teams watchable. The list of great players representing that part of the continent is impressive: Weah, Boateng, Drogba, Koulibaly, Essien, Ayew (both of them), Eto’o, Mila, Diouf, Diop, Cisse, Mane. The list goes on and on. All of this to say that while I’m probably biased, don’t sleep on the West African teams.
Seems like you can watch the games for free on YouTube.
Given the time zone I'm in, I could see watching quite a bit of this.
Given the time zone I'm in, I could see watching quite a bit of this.
I know nothing, but Zambias history in AFCON is pretty great, especially as they;'ve never qualified for the World Cup.
There's always surprises in the AFCON as well as terrible defending and hogging like nowhere else.
I'm hoping we have a new winner.
I'm hoping we have a new winner.
It was originally scheduled for this past summer but heavy rains and flooding in Cote D’Ivoire delayed it.
Similar to how Euro ‘20 took place in 2021, they keep the year no matter when it’s actually played.
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Namibia beats Tunisia 1-0 thanks to a great 88th minute goal. Namibia is ranked 111th in the world and has never won an AFCON game in its history, while Tunisia is ranked 28th in the world and is one of the tourney favorites.
https://x.com/SABC_Sport/status/1747330544109543760?s=20
https://x.com/SABC_Sport/status/1747330544109543760?s=20
If you have a vpn, you should be able to watch, the bbq, Nigerian or South African feeds.
Egypt scored in the 93rd minute to take a 2-1 lead over Cape Verde, only to give up a 99th minute equalizer. They were about to finish 3rd in the group and have to wait to see if they would advance, until Ghana conceded twice in stoppage time to Mozambique and drew 2-2. This means Cape Verde won the group, Egypt snuck into 2nd with 3 draws, and Ghana is almost surely out with 2 points unlikely to be good enough to advance as a 3rd place team.
Ghana is an absolute train wreck these days. They need a clean sweep from the FA on down as well as much stronger support from the state.
I’m in an AFCON betting pool with some friends based on drafting teams. I’ve been texting them about what a genius I am for nabbing Cape Verde. Incredible stuff.
I’m in an AFCON betting pool with some friends based on drafting teams. I’ve been texting them about what a genius I am for nabbing Cape Verde. Incredible stuff.
Good article on how hard these African teams have to recruit from the diaspora to be competitive, focused on Cape Verde:
https://theathletic.com/5187070/2024/01/12/cape-verde-afcon-2024-squad/?amp=1
https://theathletic.com/5187070/2024/01/12/cape-verde-afcon-2024-squad/?amp=1
Makes me think of the Ghanaian press corps after the US friendly, when they were asking Berhalter leading questions that were practically like “so Ghana are a mess who stink, right? Speak on that.” which he declined to answer.
My favourite rapper Blanco is Angolan so I'm all in on Angola. I reckon Senegal will win the whole thing, but I'm hoping Angola make it the Semis.
On another note: The Kits on most of these African teams are next level.
On another note: The Kits on most of these African teams are next level.
If you want to know the current odds for teams coming out of the group and progressing in the bracket, check out the work of data science / football nerd DopeIsland:
(he does this for every major international tournament, including the current state of World Cup 2026 qualifying)
(he does this for every major international tournament, including the current state of World Cup 2026 qualifying)
What’s going on with the managers at this tournament?
First, Tanzania’s manager gets an 8 game suspension for claiming Morocco have undue influence within CAF, that the Moroccans influenced the game time and referee selection for their match.
Then Ghana dumps their manager, understandably, while Ivory Coast fire theirs despite still having a chance to advance.
And now Morocco’s manager, Regragui, is handed a 2-match ban for getting into an argument with a Congo player, which sprawled into both squads pushing and shoving.
First, Tanzania’s manager gets an 8 game suspension for claiming Morocco have undue influence within CAF, that the Moroccans influenced the game time and referee selection for their match.
Then Ghana dumps their manager, understandably, while Ivory Coast fire theirs despite still having a chance to advance.
And now Morocco’s manager, Regragui, is handed a 2-match ban for getting into an argument with a Congo player, which sprawled into both squads pushing and shoving.
I could see that at a city meeting when the sub shop wouldn't let the barber shops clients use their parking lot.
Tremendous.
I mostly just get mad at EG for not being on the equator. Also, their existing soccer legacy is their old national soccer stadium being used as an execution grounds for alleged coupsters on Xmas day while the President's favorite song "Those were the days my friend" blasted over the PA.
Ridiculous place, I'm told.
Craziest tournament on Earth.
After a cycle of chaos and disappointment, are Nigeria now the AFCON favorite???
I’d have to think so.
Crazy that there are no North African teams and two southern teams in the quarters. At least East Africa is still predictably bad.
South Africa vs. Nigeria in the semis. Given how fraught that relationship is with the battle for cultural, economic and political supremacy south of the Sahara, could be a banger.