Africa's greatest football tournament commences in Cameroon in a few weeks. The competition will see 24 football nations come together to fight for the trophy.
This will be the 33rd edition of the biennial African competition. It was supposed to be played in June and July 2021, but the Confederation of African Football (CAF) resolved that the tournament would take place from January 9 to February 6, 2021, due to unfavorable climatic conditions during the summer.
There are many top African football teams who come into the tournament as favorites. The likes of Morocco, Egypt, Senegal, and Algeria boast of talented football players who are capable of winning the AFCON.
However, the AFCON is a competition that can be won by underdogs. In the 2012 AFCON co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, Zambia took the entire continent by storm after an incredible Cinderella run, which saw them emerge AFCON Champions for the first time in the country's history.
Here are five underdogs at the 2021 AFCON in Cameroon.
1. Cape Verde
Cape Verde have earned the reputation of being giant slayers in Africa. The Tubaroes Azuis will be hoping to do as well as they did in 2013 when they reached the quarterfinals on their AFCON debut.
2. Ghana
2022 will make it 40 years since Ghana last won the AFCON in 1982.
They have come agonizingly close to winning the tournament on numerous occasions though. The Black Stars finished as runner-up five times in 1968, 1970, 1992, 2010, and 2015. They have a decent squad and have an exciting crop of talented young footballers.
3. Mauritania
The Island nation qualified from Group E in a group that contained Morocco. They finished second with nine points from six matches. The Lions of Chinguetti are an emerging nation in African football. In the group stages, they will face Mali, Tunisia, and the Gambia. Mauritania could well be the surprise package in Cameroon.
4. Mali
Mohamed Magassouba's side are one of the obvious underdogs coming in the tournament. The Eagles have a number of players who play at the top level in Europe. Players such as Amadou Haidara, Moussa Djenepo, Yves Bissouma, and Moussa Marega make up the Malian team.
5. Burkina Faso
Not many African nations would easily write off Burkina Faso. The Stallions are a solid team capable of beating any side on their day. They were in terrific form at the 2013 AFCON, where they lost to Nigeria in the finals.