El Hadji Diouf Predicts Finalists for 2023 AFCON, Snubs Powerhouses Nigeria and Ghana

• El Hadji Diouf has picked the finalists for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations
• The Senegalese icon picked Morocco as one of the favourites for the final
• AFCON 2023 is scheduled for Ivory Coast and begins on January 13, 2024

El Hadji Diouf has snubbed West African powerhouses, Nigeria and Ghana as finalists for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations scheduled for Ivory Coast in January 2024.

24 teams from the continent, including Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Egypt, and Morocco, will fight for Africa’s biggest football prize from January 13 to February 11.

According to Morocco World News, Diouf has tipped Morocco to make the 2023 AFCON final due to the Atlas Lions' impeccable 2022 World Cup campaign, which saw them become the first African team to reach the semi-finals.

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The former Liverpool forward also backed his home country, Senegal, to regain their place in the final of the tournament, which they won for the first time when they defeated Egypt via penalties in the 2021 edition.

Morocco and Senegal are the highest-ranked teams heading to AFCON next year, according to the FIFA rankings, being the top two contenders for the competition as a result.

Drogba weary of Super Eagles

Meanwhile, Didier Drogba is wary of the threat Nigeria will pose to the chances of Ivory Coast in Group A when the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations kicks off in January 2024, Punch reports.

The Elephants have been drawn alongside the Super Eagles, Equatorial Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau for the 32nd AFCON and Drogba believes Nigeria will be the main test for his country.

The Ivorian legend believes with strikers like Victor Osimhen, the Super Eagles will be the clear favourite to qualify from the group but said Ivory Coast still has their fate in their hands.

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Ghana wished early AFCON exit

Sports Brief also previously reported that a young West Ham fan, Abel Farey, hopes the Black Stars of Ghana suffer an early AFCON elimination from the tournament in Ivory Coast.

The Hammers are set to lose star midfielder, Mohammed Kudus to the month-long tournament, which begins next January. Fans of the club are concerned about his absence.