The group stage of the Africa Cup of Nations has ended, the disparity between strength and weakness is no longer there, the traditional powerhouses are challenged, and the rise of the new star team is a grand event for African footballIt is also a landscape of world football.
Every edition of the Africa Cup of Nations will have a lot of exciting matches and surprise resultsAnd this year's Africa Cup of Nations is even more so.
In the group stage, 24 participating teams competed fiercelyIn the end, 16 teams advanced to the knockout round.
In the process, we see the diversity and competitiveness of African footballand the rise of some new powers.
First of all, we want to say that the group stage of the Africa Cup of Nations has been upset, and the traditional strong teams do not have an absolute advantageHowever, some teams with good quality have suffered unexpected exits.
The most shocking of these is that Ghana, Tunisia and Algeria – the regulars of the Africa Cup of Nations – have failed to make it past the group stage.
Ghana are four-time winners of the Africa Cup of Nations, runners-up in the last edition of the Africa Cup of Nations and one of the favourites to win this edition, but they only picked up one point in the group stage, losing to Cape Verde and Egypt and drawing with MozambiqueFinished bottom of the group.
Tunisia are the first-time champions of the Africa Cup of Nations, the semi-finals of the last Africa Cup of Nations, and one of the seeded teams of this edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, but they also managed to pick up only two points in the group stage, drawing with Mali and South Africa and losing to NamibiaFinished third in the group.
Algeria are two-time winners of the Africa Cup of Nations, winners of the last edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, and favourites to win this edition's Africa Cup of Nations, but they also managed only two points in the group stage, drawing with Burkina Faso and Angola and losing to MauritaniaFinished bottom of the group.
The exit of these three teams is undoubtedly the biggest upset in the group stage of the Africa Cup of NationsIt also makes the competition for the Africa Cup of Nations more complicated and intense.
Secondly, we would like to say that the group stage of the Africa Cup of Nations has been full of surprises, and some teams that are not strong have shown tenacious fighting spirit and outstanding performances, which is impressiveIt also adds a lot of color to the Africa Cup of Nations.
One of the most impressive is that Namibia, Angola, Equatorial Guinea and Mauritania are all AFCON winners, and they are all ranked lower in the world than the Chinese men's football team, but they all made history by qualifying for the knockout stage in the group stage.
Namibia, who are in their sixth appearance at the Africa Cup of Nations, have picked up four points from their group stage, drawing with Mali and beating Tunisia to advance to the knockout stages in third placeThis is the first time they have played the group stage in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Angola are participating in the Africa Cup of Nations for the ninth time and have taken seven points from their group stage, beating Algeria and Mauritania and drawing with Burkina Faso to top the group and qualify for the knockout rounds, their third time in the group stageIt was also the first time they had topped their group at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Equatorial Guinea are participating in the Africa Cup of Nations for the fourth time and they have picked up seven points from their group stage, beating Guinea-Bissau and Ivory Coast and drawing with Nigeria to qualify for the knockout stages as group winners, their second time in the AFCOPA group stageIt was also the first time they had topped their group at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Mauritania are competing in the Africa Cup of Nations for the second time, picking up three points from their group stage to beat Algeria to qualify for the knockout stages in third place, their first AFCON group stageIt was also their first victory in the Africa Cup of Nations.
The breakthrough of these four teams is undoubtedly the biggest surprise in the group stage of the Africa Cup of NationsIt is also a reflection of the diversity and progress of African football.
Finally, we would like to say that the group stage of the Africa Cup of Nations has been exciting, and some strong teams have lived up to people's expectations, showing their strength and style with outstanding performances and excellent results, and also adding a lot of highlights to the Africa Cup of Nations.
The most admirable of these are the six teams of Morocco, Egypt, Nigeria, Senegal, Cameroon and Ivory Coast, all of which are traditional powerhouses in the Africa Cup of Nations, who have finished in the top two of the group stageSuccessfully advance to the knockout round.
Morocco are the one-time champions of the Africa Cup of Nations, and they have picked up seven points from their group stage, beating Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo and drawing with Tanzania to qualify for the knockout stages as group winners, and their defensive performance has been excellentNot a single goal conceded in the group stage.
Egypt, the seven-time winners of the Africa Cup of Nations, picked up five points from their group stage, beating Ghana and Mozambique and drawing with Cabo Verde to qualify for the knockout stage as second in their group, and their attacking performance was excellent, scoring eight goals in the group stageIt is the team with the most goals in the group stage.
Nigeria are the three-time champions of the Africa Cup of Nations, they got seven points in the group stage, defeated Ivory Coast and Guinea-Bissau, drew with Equatorial Guinea, and finished second in the group in the knockout stage, the passion and suspense of the Africa Cup of Nations will heat up even more, and the 16 teams will compete for life and deathCompete for the highest honour in African football.
Among these teams, some are regulars in the Africa Cup of Nations with a wealth of experience and an illustrious history, some are new to the Africa Cup of Nations with fearless courage and amazing potential, and some are the dark horses of the Africa Cup of NationsThere are unexpected surprises and unavoidable variables.
Let's take a look at the characteristics and strengths of these teams, as well as the challenges and difficulties they may face.
First of all, we have to look at the traditional powerhouses of the Africa Cup of Nations, they all have strong strength and strong confidence, and they are the favorites to win the Africa Cup of NationsIt's also a tough rival to other teams.
Among the most noteworthy are the six teams of Morocco, Egypt, Nigeria, Senegal, Cameroon and Ivory Coast, all of which are previous winners of the Africa Cup of Nations, who have all performed well in the group stageThey are all very competitive in the knockout rounds.
Morocco, the one-time champions of the Africa Cup of Nations, qualified for the knockout stage with seven points from the group stage and finished top of the group, and they were excellent defensively and did not concede a single goal in the group stageThey are the only team to keep a clean sheet.
Morocco's head coach is France's Khalilholtz, who led France to the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 championships, he has a wealth of coaching experience and tactical literacy, he can mobilize the fighting spirit and unity of the players, and he can also adapt to the characteristics and circumstances of the opponentDevelop a suitable tactical plan.
Morocco's players are also of good quality and form, many of them play in the European league, they have good skill and awareness, they also have great speed and fitness, and they can play fluent and dangerous attacksThey were also able to show tenacity and defensive consistency.
Morocco's central player is midfielder Hakim Ziyech, who currently plays for Chelsea, he is a versatile and creative player who can organise and link up in midfield, he can also create and transform chances up front, he is the heart and soul of Morocco and the heart of attack and defence, and his performances will have a significant impact on Morocco's results.
Morocco are aiming to win their second Africa Cup of Nations title, and they have enough quality and confidence, as well as a strong desire and determinationThey will be a strong force in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Egypt, a seven-time winner of the Africa Cup of Nations, are the most successful team in the Africa Cup of Nations, qualifying for the knockout stages with five points from their group stage, finishing second in the group, and their attacking performance was excellent, scoring eight goals in the group stageIt is the team with the most goals in the group stage.
Egypt's head coach is Spaniard Carlos Garcia, who led Al Ain to the AFC Champions League, he has advanced football concepts and flexible tactical changes, he can make the most of the characteristics and strengths of the players, and he can also adapt to the situation and rhythm of the gameMake timely adjustments and responses.
Egypt's players are also in great quality and form, many of them have a lot of experience and competitiveness in European leagues, they also have excellent skills and talent, and they can play fast and agile attacksThey were also able to show composure and decisiveness in defence.
Egypt's key player is striker Salah, who currently plays for Liverpool, he is a player with incredible speed and superb marksmanship, he can create and take chances up front, he can also drop back and assist at the back, he is Egypt's top scorer and leaderHis performance will be decisive for Egypt's results.
Egypt are aiming to win their eighth Africa Cup of Nations titles, and they have the quality and confidence to have a strong desire and determination to be the favourites for the Africa Cup of Nations.
Nigeria, the three-time winners of the Africa Cup of Nations, are regulars in the Africa Cup of Nations, and they have taken seven points from their group stage to qualify for the knockout rounds as second in their group, and they have been very consistent with not losing a single game in the group stageThey are one of the unbeaten teams in the group stage.
Nigeria's head coach is German Rohr, who has led Nigeria to the 2018 World Cup and the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, and he has a wealth of coaching experience and tactical knowledge, he can build a cohesive and fighting team, and he is also able to adapt to the strength and characteristics of the opponentDevelop a suitable tactical plan.
Nigeria's players are also in good quality and form, many of them play in European leagues, they have a good level and quality, they also have great body and strength, they can play a powerful and rhythmic attackThey were also able to show tenacity and orderedness in defence.
2-2 Africa Cup of Nations upset, Egypt 2 games winless, Salah injured, the Premier League title change Africa Cup of Nations is a grand event for African footballIt is also a landscape in world football.
The Africa Cup of Nations, held every four years, always brings countless surprises and excitement to fansIt is also possible to witness the development and progress of African football.
However, there have been many unexpected results in this Africa Cup of Nations, which are surprising and embarrassing.
One of the most shocking,It was none other than Egypt's two consecutive defeats.
Egypt is a regular at the Africa Cup of Nations and a regular winner of the Africa Cup of Nations, having won the Africa Cup of Nations seven timesThe most successful team in the history of the Africa Cup of Nations.
The Egyptian team has the banner man of African football, Liverpool's superstar Mohamed Salah, who is the soul of the Egyptian teamIt is also the hope of the Egyptian team.
At the last Africa Cup of Nations, Egypt reached the final, albeit by SenegalBut it still showed great strength and resilience.
In this Africa Cup of Nations, Egypt were placed in Group BIn the same group as Senegal, Mozambique and Cape Verde.
It stands to reason that Egypt should be the top seed in this group and will be expected to qualify comfortably.
However, it backfiredThe Egyptian team has encountered unprecedented difficulties.
The opening match, Egypt against Senegal, was a repeat of the last Africa Cup of Nations finalIt is also the focus of this Africa Cup of Nations.
Both teams are powerhouses in African football and both have a wealth of experience in international competitionsThere are many stars from Europe's top leagues.
The Senegalese team is led by Mane and has strong players such as Mendy, Kolasinac, Ndiaye, Balde, and SarrHe is one of the favourites to win the Africa Cup of Nations.
The Egyptian team has Salah as the core, with excellent players such as Trezeguet, Hernani, Hassan, and SobahiHe is also one of the favourites to win the Africa Cup of Nations.
The matchup between the two teams is undoubtedly a high-level contest and a contest that will affect the championship situation.
After the start of the game, both sides did not dare to be careless, and both adopted cautious tactics to try to control the pace of the gameLook for the flaws in the other party.
In the first half, neither side created too many chances, with only a couple of long-range shots and set-pieces threateningBut none of them scored.
In the second half, both sides increased the frequency of their attacksTrying to break the deadlock.
In the 55th minute, Senegal took the lead, Mane broke down the left and crossed, Balde grabbed a header at the back point, the ball hit the Egyptian defender, changed direction and fell into the Egyptian goal, it was an own goalIt was also an unexpected goal.
Egypt is 1-0 downSuffered a heavy blow.
Not to be outdone, the Egyptians stepped up their counter-attacks in an attempt to equalise.
In the 67th minute, Egypt had a great chance when Salah was tripped by an opposition defender in the boxThe referee awarded a penalty.
Salah took it upon himself but his shot went over the crossbarA good chance to equalise was missed.
Salah misses from the penalty spotThe morale of the Egyptian team was dealt a serious blow.
Senegal took advantage of the situation to launch a counterattackTrying to extend the score.
In the 78th minute, the Senegalese team scored again, Ndiaye made a steal in the midfield, and went straight to the forward Sarr, who faced the attacking goalkeeper and calmly pushed the goal, and the Senegal team led 2-0The win was sealed.
In the end, Senegal beat Egypt 2-0 to get off to a good start and dealt a heavy blow to Egypt.
The second match, Egypt against Mozambique, was a must-win gameOtherwise, the Egyptian team will be out of the tournament early.
Mozambique is a newcomer to this Africa Cup of Nations and the weakest division of this Africa Cup of Nations, without any star players and no international experienceIt is an excellent prey for the Egyptian team.
After losing their opening game, Egypt will have to give it their all to get a big win in this game to boost their confidence and also increase their goal differenceCreate conditions for qualification.
In this game, the Egyptian team sent the strongest lineup, Salah, Trezeguet, Hernani, Hassan, Sobahi and other main players all playedIt showed the determination and confidence of the Egyptian team.
From the start of the game, the Egyptian team showed a strong attack, constantly pressing the Mozambican defenceLots of opportunities are created.
Egypt took the lead in the 12th minute, when Salah broke down the right and crossed, Trezeguet nodded the ball at the back post, the ball hit the Mozambican defender, changed direction again, and fell into the Mozambican goal again, another own goal and another unexpected goal.
Egypt leads 1-0Got off to a great start.
The Egyptian team did not stop attackingContinue to look to extend the score.
In the 28th minute, the Egyptian team scored again, Salah made a steal in the midfield, and went straight to the forward Hassan, who faced the attacking goalkeeper and easily pushed the goal, and the Egyptian team led 2-0Occupy the initiative.
Before the end of the first half, Egypt also had two shots on goal that hit the postAlmost scored again.