Algeria Coach Belmadi Names Morocco Among Top Favorites for 2024 AFCON

Who are the favorites for the 2024 AFCON? Djamel Belmadi estimated on Sunday in a press conference that Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal and Nigeria are the favorites.
"The favorites for the AFCON are often the same, we know them: Egypt, Senegal, Morocco, Tunisia, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire - for me a big favorite, playing at home," he said, however estimating that "no one can be certain about the future winner." "Predicting the winner is difficult. Surprise teams can always emerge," said the Algerian coach.

The Algerian technician did not cite his country among the favorite nations for the next AFCON. "We did not qualify for the World Cup, we were eliminated in the 1st round of the last AFCON. [...] We are not favorites. [...] Given our recent setbacks, it would be presumptuous to consider ourselves favorites." However, he is optimistic about Algeria’s participation in the continental showcase: "I see a lot of similarities in our squads between this 2019 competition and the one coming. But we will have to pull together, hurt each other, be united, disciplined. The first AFCON match is always difficult, we remember ours in 2019. We will have to be ready and we will be."

Djamel Belmadi hopes that the Fennecs will go far in the tournament. "We will arrive calmly in this tournament but with a lot of ambition, he assures. We have been working on this for a while. We have some certainties: no defeat in 2023, as in 2019 or 2020. The objective will never change: to go as far as possible, to win! We are several to want the same thing, it will be a fierce struggle."