AFCON 2019 final 24 teams

 The trip to Egypt for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) last week reached its climax after a grinding two years. Fifty-four nations began the gruesome race, 20 fell along the way, only 24 survived to the land of the Pharaohs. Another hectic journey begins.

The 2019 AFCON qualifying series wasn’t void of drama. The maiden episode was premiered when ex-Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Issa Hayatou was ousted out of office in March 2017 after almost two decades tyranny

A self-acclaimed progressive thinker, successor Ahmad Ahmad had pledged to drastically overhaul the African game, adding a bit more glamour. Among others, the Madagascan proposed an expanded Nations Cup, with an additional eight teams to 24, holding on odd years’ summer.

As tantalising as it first appeared, another episode soon followed. Cameroon, who were already awarded the hosting rights by Hayatou were forced to adjust to this new template. The Central African nation couldn’t, however betting site offers the latest betting tips on which you can bet about this AFCON 2019.

Unable to convince CAF of its preparedness amid concerns over domestic security, Cameroon was denied the opportunity of defending on home soil. Egypt was belatedly awarded – one of only two replacement candidates – in January.

Even then the tournament was revised, with the start date pushed back a week due to the Islamic Ramadan. The qualifying program itself was mottled with controversy; the September qualifier in Antananarivo between Madagascar and Senegal was overshadowed by a deadly stampede in which one supporter died and a further 40 were injured.

Egypt, Senegal and Nigeria are favouries, but here’s a peek at the 24 qualified nations for AFCON.

Algeria 

Coach: Djamel Belmadi (ALG)

Africa/world rankings: 13/69

Previous appearances: 17

Best placing: champions (1990)

Angola

Coach: Srdjan Vasiljevic (SRB)

Africa/world rankings: 33/125

Previous appearances: 7

Best placing: quarter-finals (2008, 2010)

Burundi

Coach: Olivier Niyungeko (BDI)

Africa/world rankings: 38/139

Previous appearances: Nil

Benin

Coach: Michel Dussuyer (FRA)

Africa/world rankings: 20/94

Previous appearances: 3

Best placing: first round

Cameroon

Coach: Clarence Seedorf (NED)

Africa/world rankings: 7/56

Previous appearances: 18

Best placing: champions (1984, 1988, 2000, 2002, 2017.

DR Congo

Coach: Florent Ibenge (COD)

Africa/world rankings: 5/51

Previous appearances: 18

Best placing: champions (1968, 1974)

Egypt

Coach: Javier Aguirre (MEX)

Africa/world rankings: 8/57

Previous appearances: 23

Best placing: champions (1957, 1959, 1986, 1998, 2006, 2008, 2010)

Ghana

Coach: James Kwesi Appiah (GHA)

Africa/world rankings: 6/53

Previous appearances: 21

Best placing: champions (1963, 1965, 1978, 1982)

Guinea

Coach: Paul Put (BEL)

Africa/world rankings: 12/68

Previous appearances: 11

Best placing: runners-up (1976)

Guinea-Bissau

Coach: Baciro Cande (GNB)

Africa/world rankings: 31/118

Previous appearances: 1

Best placing: first round

Ivory Coast

Coach: Ibrahim Kamara (CIV)

Africa/world rankings: 11/66

Previous appearances: 22

Best placing: champions (1992, 2015)

Kenya

Coach: Sebastien Migne (FRA)

Africa/world rankings: 23/106

Previous appearances: 5

Best placing: first round

Madagascar

Coach: Nicolas Dupuis (FRA)

Africa/world rankings: 24/107

Previous appearances: none

Mali

Coach: Mohamed Magassouba (MLI)

Africa/world rankings: 10/65

Previous appearances: 10

Best placing: runners-up (1972)

Mauritania

Coach: Corentin Martins (FRA)

Africa/world rankings: 18/84

Previous appearances: none

Morocco

Coach: Herve Renard (FRA)

Africa/world rankings: 3/43

Previous appearances: 16

Best placing: champions (1976)

Namibia

Coach: Ricardo Mannetti (NAM)

Africa/world rankings: 26/110

Previous appearances: 2

Best placing: first round

Nigeria

Coach: Gernot Rohr (GER)

Africa/world rankings: 4/46

Previous appearances: 17

Best placing: champions (1980, 1994, 2013)

Senegal

Coach: Aliou Cisse (SEN)

Africa/world rankings: 1/24

Previous appearances: 14

Best placing: runners-up (2002)

South Africa

Coach: Stuart Baxter (ENG)

Africa/world rankings: 14/74

Previous appearances: 9

Best placing: champions (1996)

Tanzania

Coach: Emmanuel Amunike (NGR)

Africa/world rankings: 37/137

Previous appearances: 1

Best placing: first round

Tunisia

Coach: Alain Giresse (FRA)

Africa/world rankings: 2/28

Previous appearances: 18

Best placing: champions (2004)

Uganda

Coach: Sebastien Desabre (FRA)

Africa/world rankings: 16/77

Previous appearances: 6

Best placing: runners-up (1978)

Zimbabwe

Coach: Sunday Chidzambwa (ZIM)

Africa/world rankings: 28/113

Previous appearances: 3

Best placing: first round