The 2021 AFCON tournament will see the main battle in group D between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the Pharaohs of Egypt as they kick-off their first match on the 11th January in the battle for top spot position.
Nigeria – The Super Eagles to taste the blue skies
The super eagles of Nigeria will be out to prove their worth in the 2021 AFCON tournament in as they will have to a huge test from the Pharaohs of Egypt in group D.
Nigeria under coach Augustine Eguavoen face a huge blow of missing out on Victor Osimehn who contacted the covid 19 virus. Emmanuel Dennis will also be left out as he faces club issues as his Watford club refused to release him for national duty.
Here is the updated Nigeria AFCON squad
Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho (AC Omonia, Cyprus); John Noble (Enyimba FC); Daniel Akpeyi (Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa); Maduka Okoye (Sparta Rotterdam, The Netherlands)
Defenders: Chidozie Awaziem (Alanyaspor FC, Turkey); Kenneth Omeruo (CD Leganes, Spain); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); William Ekong (Watford FC, England); Olaoluwa Aina (Torino FC, Italy); Jamilu Collins (SC Padeborn 07, Germany); Tyrone Ebuehi (Venezia FC, Italy); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal); Olisa Ndah (Orlando Pirates, South Africa)
Midfielders: Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Chidera Ejuke (CSKA Moscow, Russia); Kelechi Nwakali (SD Huesca, Spain)
Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Fatih Karagumruk, Turkey); Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal FC, Spain); Henry Onyekuru (Olympiacos FC, Greece); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Sadiq Umar (UD Almeria, Spain); Taiwo Awoniyi (Union Berlin, Germany); Odion Jude Ighalo (Al-Shabab Riyadh, Saudi Arabia); Alex Iwobi (Everton FC, England); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Peter Olayinka (SK Slavia Praha, Czech Republic)
Head coach – Augustine Eguavoen
Egypt – The Pharaohs aim to for eighth glory
The Pharaohs of Egypt have assembled a start studded squad with top players from their local clubs and their main target in to lift the eighth AFCON tittle under experienced coach Carlos Quieroz.
Egypt will be led by Liverpool high scoring midfielder Mohammed Salah with the experienced goalkeeper Mohammed El- Shennawy.
Egypt squad for Afcon 2021
Goalkeepers: Mohamed El-Shennawy (Al Ahly), Mohamed Sobhi (Pharco), Mohamed Abogabal (Zamalek), and Mahmoud Gad (ENPPI).
Defenders: Ahmed Fatouh, Mahmoud Alaa, and Mahmoud Hamdy El-Wensh (Zamalek); Ayman Ashraf and Akram Tawfik (Al Ahly); Omar Kamal and Mohamed Abdel-Moneim (Future); and Ahmed Hegazi (Ittihad Jeddah).
Midfielders: Hamdi Fathi and Amr El-Sulya (Al Ahly); Emam Ashour and Ahmed Sayed Zizo (Zamalek); Abdallah El-Said and Ramadan Sobhi (Pyramids); Mohamed Elneny (Arsenal); Mohamed Salah (Liverpool); Omar Marmoush (VfB Stuttgart); Mohanad Lasheen (Tala’a El-Gaish); and Mahmoud Hassan “Trezeguet” (Aston Villa).
Forwards: Mostafa Mohamed (Galatasaray) and Mohamed Sherif (Al Ahly).
Head coach – Carlos Quieroz
Guinea Bissau – Targeting to make it past the group stages.
Guinea Bissau head coach Baciro Cande has tasked his team to do better than the previous two editions by qualifying out of the group stages.
Guinea Bissau who have only made two appearance in the AFCON tournament making their debut in 2017 and also featuring in the 2019 edition but have failed to make it out of the group stages.
Here is the full squad
Goalkeepers: Jonas Mendes (Beira Mar, Portugal), Maurice Gomis (Ayia Napa FC, Cyprus), Manuel Mama Samba Baldé (Vizela, Portugal)
Defenders: Eulanio Chipela Gomes (FC Porto, Portugal), Fali Candé (Portimonense, Portugal), Manconi Soriano Mané (Moreirense, Portugal), Ladislau Leonel Ucha Alves (Marihense, Portugal), Aurisio Saliu Junior (Vilafranquence, Portugal), Opa Sangatte (Chateauroux, France), Jefferson Encada (Leixoes, Portugal), Ferdinand Mendy (Alloa Athletic FC, Scotland).
Midfielders: Judilson Gomes (AS Monaco, France), Jorge Braima Candé Nougueira (Farense, Portugal), Jaoa Lamine Jaquité (Vilafranquence, Portugal), Moreto Cassama (Stade Reims, France), Alfa Semedo Esteves (Vitoria Guimaraes, Portugal) , Panutchi Pereira Camara (Plymouth Argyle, England)
Forwards: Mama Samba Baldé (Troyes, France), Piqueti Djassi Silva (Al Shoalah, Saudi Arabia), Jorge Barbosa Intima (Wisla Plock, Poland), Mauro Rodrigues Texeira (Sion, Switzerland), Joseph Mendes (Niort, France), Steve Brahim Omar Ambri (Sochaux, France), Frédéric Mendy (Vitoria Setubal, Portugal)
Head Coach – Baciro Cande
Sudan – The secretary birds make huge return in AFCON
The secretary birds of Sudan made a return to the AFCON tournament after a spell of ten years without qualifying to the final tournament.
Sudan’s preparations to AFCON were dept with a huge blow as they lost all their three games in the Arab cup and led to the firing of head coach Herbert Velud and replaced by Borhan Tia.
Tia will be tasked to put a smiling face on Sudanese nationals as his first target will be to secure a place in the round of last 16 as he named a provisional 36 man squad.
Sudan’s provisional 36 man squad
Ali Abu Ashreen, Ishag Adam, Wali Al-Din Khidr, Abdul Razzaq Yaqoub, Juma Abbas, Muhammad Abdul Rahman, Akram Al-Hadi, Salah Nimr, Imad Al-Sinni, Mustafa Karshoum, Muhammad Al-Rashid, Al-Jazouli Noah, Dia Al-Din Mahjoub, Muhammad Abdullah Hussein, Mazen Muhammedin, Sheikh Muhammad, Muhammad Kasri, Suleiman Zakaria, Athar Al-Tahir, Ahmad Al-Fateh, Sharif Omar, Muhammad Hassoun, Awad Zayed, Ali Muhammad Nour, Mutawakkil Adam Suleiman, Musab Al-Sharif, Muhammad Al-Mundhir, Al-Sadiq Hassan Musa, Amjad Ismail, Mojtaba Al-Murdi, Mustafa Ahmed, Muhammad Al-Hajj, Captain Bashir, Muayyad Aydin, Suleiman Hamid.
Head coach – Borhan Tia
