AFCON 2023: Who Will Win the Tournament? Ranking Chances of Four Teams Left Ahead of Semis

• The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations enters another crucial period
• Nigeria, South Africa, DR Congo and Ivory Coast are the teams left
• One of the four teams will lift the coveted title on February 11

The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations enters its final week, and what a tournament it's been.

In the semi-final, Nigeria will play South Africa, while the Democratic Republic of Congo will play hosts Ivory Coast.

All four teams are capable of winning the tournament, but some have better chances than others.

In the quarter-final, Sports Brief correctly predicted all the outcomes, but the semi-final will be hard to call. Nigeria and South Africa are producing incredible defensive displays; Ivory Coast are refusing to die, while DR Congo are becoming tough to beat.

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One of these teams will lift the title next Sunday, while others will get money as consolation. So, which team has the best chance of winning the 2023 AFCON? Here is the final power rankings of the tournament.

2023 AFCON power rankings

4. DR Congo

The Leopards finally secured their first win at the tournament in the quarter-final. Despite falling behind against Guinea, the two-time champions quickly bounced back to secure a comfortable 3-1 victory. Sebastien Desabre's side drew all their games in the group stage before beating Egypt on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the Round of 16.

Their performances have been eye-catching, but they are too indifferent to lead them to the title. Opta Analyst has given them a 16.4% chance to win the title. They face the hosts in the semi-final on Wednesday, February 7. Can they knock them out?

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3. South Africa

Bafana Bafana have not looked back after losing their opening game against Mali. They have kept four straight clean sheets and eliminated favourites Morocco. In the quarter-final against Cape Verde, they were tested, and they came out unscathed. Ronwen Williams was the hero of the night as he saved penalty after penalty to send them through to the semis.

They face an even stronger team in Nigeria and will need to up the ante when they clash with the three-time AFCON champions. The Super Eagles eliminated them in the quarter-final in the 2019 edition, and South Africa will be looking for revenge. Moreover, the 1996 champions are coached by Hugo Broos, who led Cameroon to their fifth AFCON title in 2017, per the Guardian. So, this is already working well for them.

2. Ivory Coast

The hosts are having an incredible tournament. They have suffered setback after setback, but they have bounced back from the depth of hopelessness. They were almost out of the tournament at the group stage but miraculously made it to the knockout stage. They eliminated Senegal in the Round of 16 before upsetting Mali with 10 men in the quarter-final.

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The 2015 champions' never-say-die attitude could play a big role in their quest to give their fans a trophy this coming Sunday.

1. Nigeria

The Super Eagles have got the job done comfortably in all their knockout games. Their football has not been the best, but they know how to get results. They have conceded one goal in the tournament, and their defence looks impregnable. African Footballer of the Year, Victor Osimhen, may have scored once, but his contributions cannot be understated.

The Napoli man has played a crucial role for Jose Peseiro's team throughout the tournament. They face a solid Bafana Bafana team in the semis looking to inflict another painful defeat on them. Can they reach the final for the first time in a decade?

Williams stars vs Cape Verde

Sports Brief earlier reported that South Africa goalkeeper Ronwen Williams sent the Bafana Bafana into the semi-final of the 2023 AFCON after saving four penalties against Cape Verde in the shootouts.

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The Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper produced magnificent saves in regulation time to keep the South Africans in the game.

Williams produced one of the best displays in penalty shootout history after saving four of Cape Verde's five penalties.