Nigeria Face Cape Verde, Ghana Plays Botswana as African Countries Gear Up for AFCON With Friendlies

• African nations have started preparations ahead of AFCON 2023
• Several teams have lined up friendlies ahead of the tournament
• Ghana will face Botswana while Nigeria plays Burkina Faso

The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast is less than a month away and qualified countries are preparing feverishly ahead of the competition which begins on January 13.

Twenty-four nations will battle it out for the ultimate in the West African country from January to February 2024.

Every team participating in the continental championship has named either their provisional squad or their final list in preparation for the tournament.

Most of the teams have also lined up enticing pre-AFCON friendlies for early next month including Ghana, Nigeria, Egypt and Cameroon.

The Super Eagles of Nigeria, who will be camping in Saudi Arabia, will face Burkina Faso and Cape Verde, as reported by The Punch.

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Four-time African champions Ghana will engage Botswana in a friendly in South Africa, where the Black Stars will be camping for AFCON 2023, as stated on the official website of the Ghana Football Association.

Burkina Faso will engage the Democratic Republic of Congo while seven-time champions Egypt play Tanzania.

One of the favourites for the tournament, Mali will face Guinea Bissau with Equatorial Guinea playing five-time winner Cameroon. The Indomitable Lions have also lined up a friendly against Zambia as Angola face Bahrain.

Yaya Toure picks AFCON 2023 favourites

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that Ivory Coast and Manchester City legend, Yaya Toure has picked his favourite teams to win the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

The 2015 AFCON winner surprisingly ignored his own country while listing the nations he believes can win the tournament in Ivory Coast.

Toure cited qualification form as the reason for his selection, with Senegal and Guinea Bissau part of the best.

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Kamaldeen Sulemana ruled out for AFCON 2023

Sports Brief also reported that Talented Ghanaian winger, Kamaldeen Sulemana is expected to miss AFCON in Ivory Coast next month.

The 21-year-old Southampton star has been out with a hamstring injury since last month and it has been confirmed he will not recover in time for the continental championship.

Sulemana made his AFCON debut in Cameroon last year and was one of the brightest spots in a poor Ghana team.