Ghana’s captain, Andre Ayew, and his Tunisia counterpart Youssef Msakni have etched their names into the annals of the Africa Cup of Nations history during the Ivory Coast tournament.Their participation in the 2023 edition marked a remarkable eighth appearance in the prestigious event, equaling the record set by Cameroonian Rigobert Song and Egyptian Ahmed Hassan.##NAJAVA_MECA_7805357##This historic achievement, previously held since 2010 by Song and Hassan, is now shared by Ayew and Msakni, both aged 34 and 33 respectively, as they compete in the 34th edition in the West African nation.Ayew’s journey in the biannual African tournament began in 2008 when, at just 18 years old, he played in his home country, Ghana. Apart from missing the 2013 edition due to injury-related exclusion from coach James Kwesi Appiah’s team, Ayew has been a constant presence, accumulating 118 caps for Ghana, including 35 in the AFCON.However his record equalling eight appearance was one to forget as they lost the opening match in Ivory Coast to the Cape Verde Islands.Msakni, donning the colors of the Tunisian National team since 2009, has been a stalwart in the tournament since 2010, participating in every edition. His 100th cap for Tunisia was marked during the match against Namibia. Tunisia unfortunately suffered a shocking 1-0 defeat in the game.The duo’s achievement mirrors that of Song and Hassan, who played in eight AFCON competitions between 1996 and 2010. While Song secured two titles in 2000 and 2002, Hassan triumphed with four trophies in 1998, 2006, 2008, and 2010.Despite their extensive experience, Ayew and Msakni have yet to claim the ultimate victory. Ayew came close in 2010 against Egypt and in 2015 against Cote D’Ivoire, experiencing defeat in both finals.Msakni’s best showing for Tunisia was a fourth-place finish in 2019 in Egypt, leaving the pursuit of the championship as an ongoing challenge for the seasoned players.AFCON 2023: Taifa Stars begin underdog mission against Africa’s bestAFCON 2023- GROUP STAGESaturdayIvory Coast – Guinea B. 2-0 (1-0)/Fofana 4, Krasso 58/SundayNigeria – Equatorial Guinea 1-1 (1-1)/Osimhen 38 – Salvador 36/Egypt – Mozambique 2-2 (1-0)/Mohamed 2, Salah 90+7 pen – Witi 55, Bauque 58/Ghana – Cape Verde 1-2 (0-1)/Djiku 56 – Monteiro 17, Rodrigues 90+2/MondaySenegal 3-0 Gambia (1-0)/Gueye 4, Camara 52, 86/Cameroon 1-1 Guinea (0-1)/Magri 51-Bayo 10/Algeria – Angola 1-1 (1-0)/Boundedjah 18 – Mabululu (p) 68/TuesdayBurkina Faso – Mauritania 1-0 (0-0)/Traore 90+5/Tunisia – Namibia 0-1 (0-0)/Hotto 88/Mali – S.Africa (0-0)/Traore 60, Sinayoko 66/Wednesday20.00: (1.30) Morocco (5.80) Tanzania (12.0)23.00: (2.40) Dr Congo (3.20) Zambia (3.40)***odds are subject to change***17.00: (1.75) Burkina Faso (3.60) Mauritania (5.70)20.00: (1.40) Tunisia (4.60) Namibia (10.5)23.00: (2.15) Mali (3.25) S.Africa (3.90)Wednesday20.00: (1.30) Morocco (5.80) Tanzania (12.0)23.00: (2.40) Dr Congo (3.20) Zambia (3.40)***odds are subject to change***
