Mohamed Salah of Egypt during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations match against Mozambique at Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan, Ivory Coast on 14 January, 2024. (Photo: Weam Mostafa/BackpagePix) 
Egypt brings the unstoppable Mohamed Salah to the field, while Nigeria aims to reclaim their past glory in this year's competition. Bafana Bafana will rely on forward Percy Tau as they navigate the tournament as underdogs.
Algeria
Africa Cup of Nations appearance record: (19) 1968, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2010, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021.
Best performance: Winners 1990, 2019
Drawn in Group D with Angola, Burkina Faso, Mauritania.
Coach: Djamel Belmadi
Key player: Riyad Mahrez. Age: 32. Winger
Angola
Africa Cup of Nations appearance record: (8) 1996, 1998, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2019
Best performance: Quarterfinalists 2008, 2010
Drawn in Group D with Algeria, Burkina Faso and Mauritania.
Coach: Pedro Gonçalves
Key player: Manuel Luís da Silva Cafumana (Show). Age: 24. Midfielder.
Burkina Faso
Africa Cup of Nations appearance record: (12) 1978, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2021
Best performance: Runners-up 2013
Drawn in Group D with Algeria, Angola and Mauritania.
Coach: Hubert Velud
Key player: Edmond Tapsoba. Age: 24. Defender.
Cameroon
Africa Cup of Nations appearance record: (20) 1970, 1972, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021
Best performance: Winners 1984, 1988, 2000, 2002, 2017
Drawn in Group C with Gambia, Guinea and Senegal.
Coach: Rigobert Song
Key player: Andre Onana. Age: 25. Goalkeeper
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/B23KQLR0143.jpg "Andre Onana, goalkeeper of Cameroon. (Photo: Lenoir Records/BackpagePix)")
Cape Verde
Africa Cup of Nations appearance record: (3) 2013, 2015, 2021
Best performance: Quarterfinalists 2013
Drawn in Group B with Egypt, Ghana and Mozambique.
Coach: Pedro Brito Leitao (Bubista)
Key player: Ryan Mendes. Age: 33. Forward.
Democratic Republic of Congo
Africa Cup of Nations appearance record: (19) 1965, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1988, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019
Best performance: Winners 1968, 1974
Drawn in Group F with Morocco, Tanzania and Zambia.
Coach: Sebastien Desabre
Key player: Cedric Bakambu. Age: 32. Forward.
Egypt
Africa Cup of Nations appearance record: (25) 1957, 1959, 1962, 1963, 1970, 1974, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2017, 2019, 2021
Best performance: Winners 1957, 1959, 1986, 1998, 2006, 2008, 2010
Drawn in Group B with Cape Verde, Ghana and Mozambique.
Coach: Rui Vitoria
Key player: Mohamed Salah. Age: 31. Forward.
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1936237285.jpg "Mohamed Salah of Egypt. (Photo: Visionhaus.Getty Images)")
Equatorial Guinea
Africa Cup of Nations appearance record: (3) 2012, 2015, 2021
Best performance: Semifinalists 2015
Drawn in Group A with Guinea Bissau, Ivory Coast and Nigeria.
Coach: Juan Micha
Key player: Saul Coco. Age: 24 Defender
Gambia
Africa Cup of Nations appearance record: (1) 2021
Drawn in Group C with Cameroon, Guinea and Senegal.
Coach: Tom Saintfiet
Key player: Yankuba Minteh Age: 19. Forward.
Guinea Bissau
Africa Cup of Nations appearance record: (3) 2017, 2019, 2021
Best performance: Group phase
Drawn in Group A with Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast and Nigeria.
Coach: Baciro Cande
Key player: Mama Balde. Age: 28. Striker.
Guinea
Africa Cup of Nations appearance record: (13) 1970, 1974, 1976, 1980, 1994, 1998, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021
Best performance: Runners-up 1976
Drawn in Group C with Cameroon, Gambia and Senegal
Coach: Kaba Diawara
Key player: Serhou Guirassy. Age: 27. Forward.
Ghana
Africa Cup of Nations appearance record: (23) 1963, 1965, 1968, 1970, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021
Best performance: Winners 1963, 1965, 1978, 1982
Drawn in Group B with Cape Verde, Egypt and Mozambique
Coach: Chris Hughton
Key player: Mohammed Kudus. Age: 23. Midfielder.
Ivory Coast
Africa Cup of Nations appearance record: (24) 1965, 1968, 1970, 1974, 1980, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021
Best performance: Winners 1992, 2015
Drawn in Group A with Equatorial Guinea, Guinea Bissau and Nigeria.
Coach: Jean-Louis Gasset
Key player: Sebastien Haller. Age: 29. Forward.
Mali
Africa Cup of Nations appearance record: (12) 1972, 1994, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021
Best performance: Runners-up 1972
Drawn in Group E with Namibia, South Africa and Tunisia
Coach: Eric Chelle
Key player: Yves Bissouma. Age: 27. Midfielder
Mauritania
Africa Cup of Nations appearance record: (2) 2019, 2021
Best performance: Group phase
Drawn in Group D with Algeria, Angola and Burkina Faso
Coach: Amir Abdou
Key player: Aboubakary Koita. Age: 25. Forward.
Morocco
Africa Cup of Nations appearance record: (18) 1972, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1986, 1988, 1992, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2019, 2021
Best performance: Winners 1976
Drawn in Group F with the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Zambia
Coach: Walid Regragui
Key player: Achraf Hakimi. Age: 25. Defender.
Mozambique
Africa Cup of Nations appearance record: (4) 1986, 1996, 1998, 2010
Best performance: Group phase
Drawn in Group B with Cape Verde, Egypt and Ghana.
Coach: Chiquinho Conde
Key player: Reinildo. Age: 29. Defender.
Namibia
Africa Cup of Nations appearance record: (3) 1998, 2008, 2019
Best performance: Group phase
Drawn in Group E with Mali, South Africa and Tunisia.
Coach: Collin Benjamin
Key player: Peter Shalulile. Age: 30. Forward
Nigeria
Africa Cup of Nations appearance record: (19) 1963, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2019, 2021
Best performance: Winners 1980, 1994, 2013
Drawn in Group A with Equatorial Guinea, Guinea Bissau and Ivory Coast.
Coach: Jose Peseiro
Key player: Victor Osimhen. Age: 25. Forward.
Senegal
Africa Cup of Nations appearance record: (16) 1965, 1968, 1986, 1990, 1992, 1994, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021
Best performance: Winners 2021
Drawn in Group C with Cameroon, Gambia and Guinea.
Coach: Aliou Cissé
Key player: Sadio Mane. Age: 31. Forward.
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1928007199.jpg "Sadio Mané of Senegal. (Photo by MB Media/Getty Images)")
South Africa
Africa Cup of Nations appearance record: (10) 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2013, 2015, 2019.
Best performance: Winners 1996
Drawn in Group E with Mali, Namibia and Tunisia
Coach: Hugo Broos
Key player: Percy Tau. Age: 29. Forward
Read more in Daily Maverick: Underdogs Bafana Bafana will lean heavily on Percy Tau during Afcon onslaught
Tanzania
Africa Cup of Nations appearance record: (2) 1980, 2019
Best performance: Group Phase
Drawn in Group F with the Democratic Republic of Congo, Morocco and Zambia.
Coach: Adel Amrouche
Key player: Mbwana Samatta. Age: 31. Forward.
Tunisia
Africa Cup of Nations appearance record: (20) 1962, 1963, 1965, 1978, 1982, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021
Best performance: Winners 2004
Drawn in Group E with Mali, Namibia and South Africa.
Coach: Jalel Kadri
Key player: Ellyes Skhiri. Age: 28. Midfielder.
Zambia
Africa Cup of Nations appearance record: (17) 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015
Best performance: Winners 2012
Drawn in Group F with the Democratic Republic of Congo, Morocco and Tanzania.
Coach: Avram Grant
Key player: Patson Daka. Age: 25. Forward.
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