Africa Cup 2022 • TEAMS + FACTS
Group A GROUP B GROUP C GROUP D GROUP E GROUP F
TEAMS + FACTS
CAMEROONVincent Aboubakar scored the winner against Egypt as Cameroon won the Nations Cup in 2017.
Appearance: 20th
Best finish: Winners (1984, 1988, 2000, 2002, 2017)
Coach: Antonio Conceicao
Captain: Vincent Aboubakar
Fifa ranking: 50
Nickname: Indomitable Lions
BURKINA FASOBurkina Faso forward Bertrand Traore returned for club side Aston Villa on 26 December 2021 after over two months out injured.
Appearance: 12th
Best finish: Runners-up (2013)
Coach: Kamou Malo
Captain: Issoufou Dayo
Fifa ranking: 60
Nickname: The Stallions
ETHIOPIAEthiopia have qualified for the Nations Cup for the first time since 2013.
Appearance: 11th
Best finish: Winners (1962)
Coach: Wubetu Abate
Captain: Getaneh Kebede
Fifa ranking: 137
Nickname: Walia Ibex
CAPE VERDECape Verde last appeared at the Nations Cup in 2015.
Appearance: Third
Best finish: Quarter-finals (2013)
Coach: Bubista
Captain: Ryan Mendes
Fifa ranking: 73
Nickname: Blue Sharks
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SENEGALLiverpool forward Sadio Mane provides a threat up front for Senegal, runners-up in the last Nations Cup.
Appearance: 16th
Best finish: Runners-up (2002 and 2019)
Coach: Aliou Cisse
Captain: Kalidou Koulibaly
Fifa ranking: 20
Nickname: Lions of Teranga
ZIMBABWEAl Tai and Zimbabwe striker Knowledge Musona captains a side hit by injuries and FA chaos.
Appearance: 5th
Best finish: Group stage (2004, 2006, 2017, 2019)
Coach: Norman Mapeza
Captain: Knowledge Musona
Fifa ranking: 121
Nickname: The Warriors
GUINEANaby Keita came up against Liverpool team-mate Sadio Mane when Guinea faced Senegal on 14 January 2022.
Appearance: 13th
Best finish: Runners-up (1976)
Coach: Kaba Diawara
Captain: Naby Keita
Fifa ranking: 81
Nickname: Syli National
MALAWIMalawi defender Charles Petro plays for Moldova's Sheriff Tiraspol.
Appearance: Third
Best finish: Group stage (1984, 2010)
Head of technical panel: Mario Marinica
Captain: John Banda
Fifa ranking: 129
Nickname: The Flames
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MOROCCOWolverhampton Wanderers defender Romain Saiss will be looking to improve on a last-16 exit in 2019.
Appearance: 18th
Best finish: Winners (1976)
Coach: Vahid Halilhodzic
Captain: Romain Saiss
Fifa ranking: 28
Nickname: Atlas Lions
GHANAAndre Ayew, now playing in Qatar, was Ghana's top scorer in World Cup qualifying with three goals.
Appearance: 23rd
Best finish: Winners (1963, 1965, 1978, 1982)
Coach: Milovan Rajevac
Captain: Andre Ayew
Fifa ranking: 52
Nickname: Black Stars
COMOROSMoussa Djoumoi scored for Comoros in qualifying for the Arab Cup, but the side were eliminated after a 5:1 defeat by Palestine.
Appearance: Debutants
Best finish: n/a
Coach: Amir Abdou
Captain: Nadjim Abdou
Fifa ranking: 132
Nickname: The Coelacanths
GABONPierre-Emerick Aubameyang will look to rediscover his form with Gabon after being dropped by Arsenal and stripped of the club captaincy in December 2021.
Appearance: Eighth
Best finish: Quarter-finalists (1996 and 2012)
Coach: Patrice Neveu
Captain: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Fifa ranking: 89
Nickname: The Panthers
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NIGERIAOdion Igahlo was top scorer at the 2019 Nations Cup with five goals, and came out of international retirement in November 2021.
Africa Cup Appearance: 19th
Best finish: Winners (1980, 1994, 2013)
Interim coach: Augustine Eguavoen
Captain: Ahmed Musa
Fifa ranking: 36
Nickname: Super Eagles
EGYPTEgypt captain Mohamed Salah has scored four goals at the Nations Cup.
Africa Cup Appearance: 25th
Best finish: Winners (1957, 1959, 1986, 1998, 2006, 2008, 2010)
Coach: Carlos Queiroz
Captain: Mohamed Salah
Fifa ranking: 45
Nickname: The Pharaohs
SUDANSudan lost all their group games at the Arab Cup, leading to the dismissal of coach Hubert Velud.
Appearance: Ninth
Best finish: Winners (1970)
Interim coach: Burhan Tia
Captain: Salaheldin Nemer
Fifa ranking: 125
Nickname: Saqur al-Jidyan (Secretary Birds)
GUINEA-BISSAUGuinea-Bissau only took a point from three group games against Cameroon, Benin and Ghana at the 2019 Nations Cup.
Appearance: Third
Best finish: Group stage (2017 and 2019)
Coach: Baciro Cande
Captain: Bura
Fifa ranking: 106
Nickname: Djurtus (Wild Dogs)
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ALGERIAAlgeria are set to defend their Africa Cup of Nations title, which they won in 2019 by beating Senegal 1:0 in the final. Manchester City forward Riyad Mahrez captained Algeria to their second Nations Cup triumph three years ago.
Appearance: 19th
Best finish: Winners (1990 and 2019)
Coach: Djamel Belmadi
Captain: Riyad Mahrez
Fifa ranking: 29
Nickname: Desert Foxes
SIERRA LEONEVeteran striker Kei Kamara scored the goal which secured Sierra Leone's qualification for the Nations Cup.
Appearance: Third
Best finish: Group stage (1994 and 1996)
Coach: John Keister
Captain: Umaru Bangura
Fifa ranking: 108
Nickname: Leone Stars
EQUATORIAL GUINEAFormer Mallorca, Middlesbrough and Birmingham City player Emilio Nsue featured when Equatorial Guinea hosted the Nations Cup in 2015.
Appearance: Third
Best finish: Fourth place (2015)
Coach: Juan Micha
Captain: Emilio Nsue
Fifa ranking: 114
Nickname: Nzalang Nacional (National Thunder)
CÔTE D'IVOIREIvory Coast skipper Serge Aurier joined Spanish side Villarreal in October 2021 after leaving Tottenham Hotspur.
Appearance: 24th
Best finish: Winners (1992 and 2015)
Coach: Patrice Beaumelle
Captain: Serge Aurier
Fifa ranking: 56
Nickname: The Elephants
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TUNISIAFarouk Ben Mustapha captained Tunisia to the final of the Arab Cup, where they were beaten 2:0 by Algeria after extra-time.
Appearance: 20th
Best finish: Winners (2004)
Coach: Mondher Kebaier
Captain: Wahbi Khazri
Fifa ranking: 30
Nickname: Carthage Eagles
MALIMali went unbeaten in 2022 World Cup qualifying to reach Africa's play-offs for the tournament in Qatar.
Appearance: 12th
Best finish: Runners-up (1972)
Coach: Mohamed Magassouba
Captain: Hamari Traore
Fifa ranking: 53
Nickname: The Eagles
MAURITANIAMauritania were beaten 5:1 by Nations Cup group opponents Tunisia at the Arab Cup in November.
Appearance: Second
Best finish: Group stage (2019)
Coach: Didier Gomes da Rosa
Captain: Abdoul Ba
Fifa ranking: 103
Nickname: Mourabitounes
GAMBIAGambia boss Tom Saintfiet has coached national sides in four different Fifa confederations.
Appearance: Debutants
Best finish: n/a
Coach: Tom Saintfiet
Captain: Pa Modou Jagne
Fifa ranking: 150
Nickname: The Scorpions
15 Jan 2022
Related countries
Algeria
Burkina Faso
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Comoros
Côte d'Ivoire
Egypt
Equatorial Guinea
Ethiopia
Gabon
Gambia
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Malawi
Mali
Mauritania
Morocco
Nigeria
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Sudan
Tunisia
Zimbabwe
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