AFCON 2023: Ex Harambee Stars Coach Francis Kimanzi Predicts Winner of the Tournament

• The 34th AFCON is almost here and predictions are coming in thick and fast
• Former Kenya coach Francis Kimanzi has made his and he is keeping it safe
• Senegal, Nigeria, Cote d'Ivoire, and Morocco are among favourites to win it

The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations is just days away, with pundits, fans, ex-players, and coaches having made their predictions.

Former coach of the Kenyan national team, Francis Kimanzi, is the latest football figure to try and divine the outcome of the competition.

The top-ranked teams on the continent have been dubbed as favourites. These teams, which include Morocco, Senegal, Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt, Cameroon, and host nation Cote d'Ivoire, have the best squads on paper, so that automatically makes them contenders, per FIFA.

Most predictions have leaned on the Teranga Lions, Atlas Lions, and the Elephants. Senegal are the defending champions, and the core of the squad that lifted the 2022 tournament is still together. With Sadio Mane, they are surely a serious contender.

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Morocco's squad that reached the 2022 World Cup semi-finals are still together, and they also want to end their 48-year AFCON title drought.

Nigeria, on the other hand, are always favourites and it is rare that they head into the tournament with the best player in Africa, Victor Osimhen. Can the Napoli hitman lead them to glory for the first time since 2013?

Kimanzi predicts AFCON winner

Speaking exclusively to Sports Brief, Kimanzi said his pick to win the tournament is Senegal.

"I'm sticking with the defending champions, Senegal. They have an experienced squad, a squad that has been playing together, and they've integrated some of the young players into their Golden Generation. So I think Senegal can deliver another title," he said.

Kimanzi has coached Harambee Stars in three different spells. He led the team in 2008 and 2011 before parting ways with the Football Kenya Federation (FKF).

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He was part of the coaching setup of Harambee Stars at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

In his earlier spells as the team's coach, he led Kenya to its highest-ever FIFA ranking (68), per Nation Sport. He's also coached Kenya Premier League sides Sofapaka, Mathare United, and Tusker FC.

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Algerian legend names AFCON contenders

Sports Brief also previously reported on Algerian football legend, Rabah Madjer naming possible AFCON 2023 winners.

The Algerian said it is difficult to pick just one team considering there are several teams that could go all the way to win it all.

Madjer is one of Africa's greatest players. He won the 1990 AFCON with Algeria as well as the 1987 European Cup with Porot.