AFCON 2023: Top 5 Disappointments at the Tournament, From Ivory Coast to Victor Osimhen

• The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations has been a spectacle since early on
• There have been upsets, late drama, and non-stop entertainment
• Amid all the drama, some teams and players have performed poorly

The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations has delivered moments of magic from day one, and the group stage is only just coming to a conclusion.

Despite the pre-tournament excitement, several big guns like Ivory Coast, Algeria, and top players have failed to light up the tournament.

Nigeria, Senegal, Ivory Coast, and Morocco were pre-tournament favourites, but only a few teams have lived up to expectations.

Defending champions, Senegal are the only team with a 100% record and they are currently the team to beat.

There have been a few disappointments, and Sports Brief looks at some of them.

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Top 5 AFCON disappointments

Ivory Coast

When you host the AFCON for the first time in 40 years, there is excitement and expectation. Jean-Louis Gasset's side were expected to go all the way, possibly to the final, but that enthusiasm vanished three games into the tournament and was replaced with furore.

They beat Guinea-Bissau 2-0 in their first game, but the performance was not convincing. In their second Group A game against Nigeria, the Elephants lost 1-0, but their performance was not good enough.

They suffered an embarrassing 4-0 loss to Equatorial in their last game, a result that caused mayhem across the West African country. It was summed up by a dejected Didier Drogba in the stands.

The tournament has been a disaster for the Ivorians, who have to depend on other results to reach the last 16. The last time the host nation failed to go past the group stage was Gabon in 2017.

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Ghana

Black Stars' exit from the tournament was confirmed on Tuesday. The four-time winners have now exited AFCON at the group stage for the second time in a row. Two draws and a shock defeat to Cape Verde sealed their fate.

Despite having one of the best squads on the continent, Ghana flattered to deceive. They were second-best against Cape Verde and failed to hold on to leads against Egypt and Mozambique.

The performance showed the extent of dysfunction in the team. Chris Hughton has been fired after elimination was confirmed, but the country still faces an uphill task of making the Black Stars a proper team.

Algeria

On paper, Algeria have one of the best sides in Africa. Since their 2019 AFCON triumph, they have been poor. They failed to get out of their group in the 2021 and 2023 editions. Failure to beat the likes of Angola and Mauritania is unacceptable.

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The final act of their Golden Generation, led by Riyad Mahrez, was a humiliating defeat by Mauritania, who also registered their first-ever AFCON victory, per CAF.

Victor Osimhen - Nigeria

The Napoli striker was recently named African Footballer of the Year, but his performances at the 2023 AFCON in Ivory Coast have been underwhelming. Most of it is not his fault, though. Nevertheless, he has missed some big chances in the tournament.

He scored in their opening game against Equatorial Guinea but also missed a one-on-one. Against Ivory Coast and Guinea-Bissau, he had golden opportunities to score but somehow couldn't find the back of the net.

The Napoli striker has missed over four big chances in the tournament so far, more than any other player, per Who Scored. The Serie A Golden Boot winner will need to step up in the knockout stages.

Mohamed Salah

The Egyptian captain is out for the rest of the tournament after his injury against Ghana. Before his injury, his performances weren't eye-catching for a player of his calibre. He scored a last-gasp penalty against Mozambique to secure a 2-2 draw, a result that ultimately saved the Pharaohs from elimination.

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Fans and ex-players have criticised the Liverpool star for leaving the Egyptian camp. Coach Rui Vitoria was also unhappy with how the Salah situation was handled.

He was expected to miss two games, but his agent said the injury was much worse. Liverpool boss, Jurgen Klopp said Salah would return to Merseyside to recover and return to Ivory Coast if Egypt reached the final.

The Egyptian veteran still has a chance to lead his country to glory in the 2025 AFCON.

Why Osimhen is struggling at AFCON

Sports Brief earlier reported on Super Eagles legend, Ifeanyi Udeze explaining why Osimhen is struggling at AFCON in front of the goal.

"In my opinion, Osimhen is under pressure. That's why he is attempting everything possible to score," Udeze said.

Osimhen has scored Nigeria's only open-play goal, but will need to be on top form against Cameroon on Saturday in the Round of 16.