Yaya Toure snubs Nigeria, tips Ivory Coast, Guinea-Bissau, South Africa for AFCON trophy

Nigeria celebrate during the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations Final match between Nigeria and Burkina Faso from the National Stadium on Februray 10, 2013 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Photo: AFP

Legendary Côte d’Ivoire midfielder Yaya Toure has said South Africa, Guinea-Bissau, Morocco, Senegal, and his country are the favourites to win the AFCON 2023.

Côte d’Ivoire will welcome the rest of the continent at next year’s showpiece which will run from January 13 to February 11, 2024.

It is the second time the Ivorians will host the AFCON after first staging the competition in 1984.

Looking forward to next year’s edition Toure, who captained his country to win the AFCON in 2015, made a list of the countries he feels are favourites.

Surprisingly, he left out heavyweights and former winners like Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria, Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia.

Among the five teams he listed as favourites for the title only Guinea-Bissau has never lifted the AFCON.

Côte d’Ivoire were champions in 1992 and 2015, South Africa win as hosts in 1996, Morocco’s only success was in 1976 while Senegal claimed their first-ever title at the 2021 edition in Cameroon.

“It’s normal to have a preference for your own country,” Toure, current Saudi Arabia assistant coach, told Forbes Afrique.

“Côte d’Ivoire has a strong team and many talented and experienced players. But if I had to choose the teams I think are favourites, I’d say Senegal, Morocco, Guinea-Bissau and South Africa. They had an impressive qualifying campaign,” he concluded.

Côte d’Ivoire will face Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau in Group A.

The last time the Eagles and Côte d’Ivoire clashed at the AFCON was in the quarter-finals in 2013.

The Eagles, under late Stephen Keshi, won 2-1 and went on