Africa Cup of Nations: Stage set for football carnival in Cote d'Ivoire

Forty years after Cote d'Ivoire hosted the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) for the first time, the continent's showpiece event returns to the West African country this weekend. Over the course of these past four decades, African football has taken major strides towards becoming football's newest power center.

Home to some of the world's best footballers today, the tournament draws millions of viewers from across the world. The upcoming edition is set to be broadcast in around 180 countries, as per the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the continent's football governing body.

From the relatively small-scale eight-team tournament in 1984 to the present glitzy 24-team format that attracts global attention and has a cool $7 million in prize money for the winners, the contrast between the two AFCON editions in Cote d'Ivoire stands testament to the rising stock of African football.

On the pitch itself, the upcoming edition promises to offer an exciting package of entertainment to fans all over the world. In Qatar in 2022, Morocco became the first African nation to reach the semifinals of the FIFA World Cup.

Coached by the charismatic Walid Regragui, who led Moroccan club Wydad to the CAF Champions League title in 2022, Morocco will undoubtedly be among the prime candidates for the title heading into the tournament. It was in 1976 that Morocco last won the AFCON title. Lifting the trophy this time will help further cement Regragui and this current team's legendary status in Moroccan football.

The Victor Osimhem-spearheaded Nigerian attack promises to enthrall fans, but question marks remain over other departments on the pitch. Mohamed Salah's Egypt, on the other hand, will hope to put behind memories of their heartbreaking losses in the finals of the 2017- and 2021- editions and win what would be a record-extending eighth AFCON title.

No team has successfully defended the AFCON title since Egypt won a third straight title in 2010, and the Aliou Cisse-coached defending champions, Senegal, featuring a number of star names, will be looking to break that 14-year jinx. 

Hosts Cote d'Ivoire will hope home support will give them the push they need in their quest for a third AFCON crown, while Ghana will look to recover from their recent poor run of form as they target ending a 32-year title drought at the tournament.

Cameroon and Algeria, champions in 2017 and 2019, respectively, as well as Tunisia, will also be in the fray for the championship. 

Given AFCON's consistent track record of throwing in surprises, it certainly wouldn't displease neutrals if one of the lesser-fancied sides go on a fairytale title-winning run – a la Zambia in 2012 – or at least cause a few significant upsets. 

The likes of Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea, to name a few, definitely have enough quality in their squads to go far in the tournament.

Infrastructure upgrade and Chinese collaboration

For Cote d'Ivoire, this edition will help demonstrate their ability to host major sporting events. The arrival of fans from other countries will also give the country's hospitality sector a boost. Abidjan, the country's economic capital, will see a significant part of the action, with 20 of the tournament's 52 games to be held across two stadiums in the city.

To help cater to the various needs of the tournament, Cote d'Ivoire authorities have recruited 20,000 volunteers, who will undoubtedly be key to the smooth organization of the tournament.

The country's sporting infrastructure has, meanwhile, witnessed a major facelift, with four of the six venues being new stadiums and two others being refurbished ones.

China's presence will also be felt in this tournament, with Chinese companies being involved in the construction of three of the new stadiums for this tournament.

The 60,000-seater Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan, which will host the opening game and the final, is a Chinese-built facility that opened in 2020.

Chinese companies also built the Laurent Pokou Stadium in San Pedro and the Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium in Korhogo, highlighting close ties between China and Cote d'Ivoire.