Africa Cup of Nations 2021: Groups E preview and squads - Unstoppable, unbeatable Algeria look to defend title
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Updated 08/01/2022 at 09:27 GMT
The reigning champions are in imperious form heading into the tournament and are intent on extending their record unbeaten run when they face Sierra Leone, Equatorial Guinea and even Ivory Coast in Group E. The Elephants are also gunning for glory despite perhaps lacking the star power of years gone by.
Algeria Mahrez
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Group E
Algeria, Sierra Leone, Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast
Tuesday, 11 January
- Algeria v Sierra Leone
Wednesday, 12 January
- Equatorial Guinea v Ivory Coast
Sunday, 16 January
- Ivory Coast v Sierra Leone
- Algeria v Equatorial Guinea
Thursday, 20 January
- Ivory Coast v Algeria
- Sierra Leone v Equatorial Guinea
Reigning champions Algeria are arguably the team to beat in this year’s competition and at the present moment that is far easier said than done.
Following their recent Arab Cup victory, the Desert Foxes are on an astounding 39-match unbeaten run and head to Cameroon confident of defending their crown.
The star man is of course Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez however AC Milan’s Ismael Bennacer, West Ham’s Said Benrahma and the veteran trio of Sofiane Feghouli, Islam Slimani and Yacine Brahimi make them a daunting prospect for any of their opponents.
Seirra Leone are up first, including the surprise inclusion for former Tottenham and Liverpool defender Steven Caulker.
While not expected to have much of an impact in Cameroon, the Leone Stars can boast a remarkable 4-4 draw with Nigeria from their qualifying campaign, having battled back from 4-0 down.
Duking it out with Algeria for top spot are likely to be the Ivory Coast who remain a tough proposition despite something of a drop off since the ‘Golden Generation’ of years gone by.
The Elephants squad features the likes of Manchester United defender Eric Bailly, Burnley’s Maxwell Cornet and AC Milan’s Franck Kessie among others, while also boasting a forward line of Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha, Arsenal’s Nicholas Pepe and this season’s current UEFA Champions League top scorer Sebastian Haller, meaning goals should not be hard to come by.
The Equatorial Guinea side is not quite so star-studded but come into the tournament on a five-match unbeaten run which includes a 1-0 victory over Tunisia in World Cup qualifying as they just missed out on top spot to the north Africans.
Squads
Algeria
Goalkeepers: Rais M'Bolhi (Ettifaq, Saudi Arabia), Alexandre Oukidja (Metz, France), Moustapha Zeghba (Damac, Saudi Arabia).
Defenders: Djameleddine Benlamri (Qatar SC, Qatar), Aissa Mandi (Villareal, Spain), Mohamed Amine Tougai, Ilyes Chetti, Abdelkader Bedrane (all Esperance, Tunisia), Ramy Bensebaini (Borussia Mönchengladbach, Germany), Youcef Atal (Nice, France), Houcine Benayada (Etoile du Sahel, Tunisia), Mohamed Reda Halaimia (Beerschot, Belgium), Mehdi Tahrat (Al Gharafa, Qatar)
Midfielders: Ismael Bennacer (AC Milan, Italy), Ramiz Zerrouki (FC Twente, Netherlands), Adem Zorgane (Charleroi, Belgium), Haris Belkebla (Brest, France), Sofiane Feghouli (Galatasaray, Turkey), Sofiane Bendebka (Al Fateh, Saudi Arabia).
Forwards: Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City, England), Adam Ounas (Napoli, Italy), Youcef Belaïli (Unattached), Said Benrahma (West Ham United, England), Yacine Brahimi (Al Rayyan, Qatar), Farid Boulaya (Metz, France), Islam Slimani (Lyon, France), Baghdad Bounedjah (Al Sadd, Qatar), Mohamed Amine Amoura (Lugano, Switzerland).
Sierra Leone
Goalkeepers: Mohamed N Kamara (East End Lions, Sierra Leone), Ibrahim Sesay (Bo Rangers, Sierra Leone), Isaac Caulker (FC Kallon, Sierra Leone).
Defenders: Yeami Dunia, Saidu Mansaray (both Bo Rangers, Sierra Leone), Osman Kakay (QPR, England) Kevin Wright (Unattached), Steven Caulker (Gaziantep, Turkey), David Sesay (Wealdstone, England), Umaru Bangura (Neuchatel Xamax, Switzerland), Daniel Francis (Rot Weiss Ahlen, Germany).
Midfielders: Mohamed Kamara (Unattached), John Bankole Kamara (Kesla, Azerbaijan), Abu Dumbuya (East End Lions, Sierra Leone), Saidu Bah Kamara, Prince Barrie (both Bo Rangers, Sierra Leone), Kwame Quee (Vikingur Reykjavic, Iceland), Saidu Fofana (FC Kallon, Sierra Leone), Issa Kallon (SC Cambuur, Netherlands), Idris Kanu (Peterborough United, England), Alhassan Koroma (Real Balompedica Linense, Spain).
Forwards: Musa Noah Kamara (Bo Rangers, Sierra Leone), Augustine Williams (LA Galaxy, USA), Mustapha Bundu (AGF, Denmark), Alhaji Kamara (Randers, Denmark), Sullay Kaikai (Wycombe Wanderers, England), Mohamed Buya Turay (Henan Songshan, China), Kei Ansu Kamara (HIFK, Finland).
Equatorial Guinea
Goalkeepers: Aitor Embela (Somozas, Spain), Jesus Owono (Deportivo Alaves, Spain), Manuel Sapunga (Futuro Kings, Equatorial Guinea), Mariano Magno (Deportivo Unidad, Equatorial Guinea).
Defenders: Carlos Akapo (Cadiz, Spain), Marvin Anieboh (Cacereno, Spain), Cosme Anvene (Deportivo Unidad, Equatorial Guinea), Saul Coco (Las Palmas, Spain), Miguel Angel Maye (Futuro Kings, Equatorial Guinea), Luis Meseguer (Navalcarnero, Spain), Basilio Ndong (Start, Norway), Luis Enrique Nsue (Futuro Kings, Equatorial Guinea), Esteban Obiang (Antequera, Spain)
Midfielders: Javier Akapo (Ibiza Islas Pitiusas, Spain), Alex Balboa (Deportivo Alaves, Spain), Ruben Belima, Federico Bikoro (both Hercules), Jannick Buyla (Gimnastic Tarragona, Spain), Santiago Eneme (Nantes, France), Pablo Ganet (Real Murcia, Spain), Jose Machin (Monza, Italy), Josete Miranda (Niki Volos, Greece).
Forwards: Dorian Hanza (Langreo, Spain), Luis Nlavo (Sporting Braga, Portugal), Emilio Nsue (unattached), Pedro Oba (Futuro Kings, Equatorial Guinea), Iban Salvador (Fuenlabrada, Spain), Oscar Siafa (Olympiakos Volos, Greece).
Ivory Coast
Goalkeepers: Sylvain Gbohouo (Wolkite Ketema, Ethiopia), Badra Ali Sangare (JDR Stars, South Africa), Abdoul Karim Cisse (Asec Mimosas, Ivory Coast), Ira Eliezer Tape (San Pedro, Ivory Coast).
Defenders: Serge Aurier (Villarreal, Spain), Eric Bailly (Manchester United, England), Willy Boly (Wolverhampton Wanderers, England), Wilfried Kanon (Pyramids, Egypt), Odilon Kossounou (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany), Simon Deli (Adana Demirspor, Turkey), Ghislain Konan (Reims, France).
Midfielders: Habib Maiga (Metz, France), Maxwel Cornet (Burnley, England), Serey Die (Sion, Switzerland), Ibrahim Sangare (PSV Eindhoven, Netherlands), Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro (Lazio, Italy), Franck Kessie (AC Milan, Italy), Hamed Traore and Jeremie Boga (both Sassuolo, Italy), Max Gradel (Sivasspor, Turkey), Jean Michael Seri (Fulham, England).
Forwards: Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace, England), Jean Evrard Kouassi (Trabzonspor, Turkey), Nicolas Pepe (Arsenal, England), Sebastien Haller (Ajax, Netherlands), Christian Kouame (Anderlecht, Belgium), Yohan Boli (Al-Rayyan, Qatar), Karim Konate (Asec Mimosas, Ivory Coast).
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