With the Africa Cup of Nations set to kick off in two days, Harambee Stars coach Engin Firat has come out and revealed the countries he feels stand a chance to clinch the title.Firat said teams from North and West Africa had all the ingredients required to claim the title that is currently in the possession of Senegal.The Turkish gaffer defended his choice by stating that countries from the two regions had invested heavily in sporting infrastructure and the development of talents.##NAJAVA_MECA_7789161##”To be honest, the favorites are teams from North and West Africa. This is how it has been for a long time, and it will continue again,” he said.Firat regretted that teams from East and South Africa continue to lag behind due to lack of investment in infrastructure.“The East and South African teams are still far behind and need to make drastic measures to put them on par with their peers from the other side of Africa. It is not a problem of talent but one of infrastructure, and this is what needs to change.“So in conclusion, we have five countries that are favourites to do well this year, and all of them are from North and West Africa. There is a big imbalance on the continent and it needs to be addressed.”AFCON2023: Interesting facts you should know ahead of showdownOut of the 24 teams taking part in this year’s edition, 11 are from West Africa while North Africa has four teams.East Africa has only one team while Southern Africa has nine teams. Egypt is the most successful team in the tournament having won the trophy a record seven times and finished runners-up three times.Cameroon follow with five titles and finished runners-up on two occasions.AFCON2023: Nine minutes of drama in the sky, several Gambia players fainted due to lack of oxygen!Ghana are third after claiming four titles and finishing second five times.Nigeria have won it three times and come in second four times. Hosts Ivory Coast, Algeria, and DR Congo have won two titles.Tunisia, Zambia, Sudan, Senegal, Ethiopia, Morocco, South Africa, and Congo each have one title.
