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Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman has not come to terms with Xavi Simons' disallowed goal against France.

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Koeman left frustrated with Simons' disallowed goalVan Dijk questioned the referee's decisionThe Dutch will next face Austria on TuesdayWHAT HAPPENED?

European giants, France and Netherlands played out a boring goalless draw on Friday in their second group game of Euro 2024. The only talking point from the dull game was a controversially disallowed goal of Xavi Simons around the 70th-minute mark, which according to manager Koeman should have been allowed.

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Speaking to reporters after the game, the former Barcelona coach said, "I think the position of Dumfries is offside but he isn't disturbing the goalkeeper. When that happens it is a legal goal in my opinion. Also, you need five minutes to check it? I don't understand this."

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Liverpool star and Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk also backed his coach's claim as he felt Simons' goal was a fair one. Speaking to Euro 2024's official media channel, he said, "We scored a goal that is a fair goal. He had no chance to get into that corner. But yeah, the English referee decided not to give it."

Premier League referees Anthony Taylor and Stuart Attwell, who ruled out the strike, were savagely trolled on social media for their controversial decision which did not go down well with fans online.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR NETHERLANDS?

Koeman's side could seal a knockout berth on Tuesday if they manage to beat Austria in their final group game.

There are now only five days to go until the transfer deadline on 1st February, and Gary O'Neil and Wolves still haven't managed to add a new striker to their squad, having allowed Sasa Kalajdzic and Fabio Silva to leave on loan for Eintracht Frankfurt and Rangers respectively.

One potential target for the Molineux outfit is Chelsea's Armando Broja, who doesn't appear to have a long-term future in west London. Wolves have been in touch, along with fellow Premier League sides Fulham, Crystal Palace and West Ham, to express their interest in a potential deal. The Blues are willing to sanction an initial loan, but they're insistent upon a £35m obligation to buy at the end of it.

Armando Broja 2023/24 stats

Total

Appearances

19

Starts

8

Minutes played

694

Goals

2

Assists

2

As you can see in the table above, Broja has appeared in 19 games for Chelsea this season, and started five of the last seven with striker rival Nicolas Jackson away at the Africa Cup of Nations. Clearly, though, Mauricio Pochettino has been dissatisfied with his output, and is ready to move on.

Fosun now receive Broja ultimatum

According to transfer insider Dean Jones, Broja is Wolves' top striker target this month. However, Chelsea have issued an ultimatum to Fosun, telling them that they need to agree to the obligation to buy if they want to get a deal done. Wolves may feel as if they can test the Blues' resolve on the price tag, however, given that they clearly want rid of the Albanian.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones said: "Wolves' intent around Broja is definitely there. They will sign a striker, and they’d like it to be Broja. Chelsea say it can be done, but with an obligation.

"If the obligation is £35m, then that's a big call from Wolves if they're willing to throw themselves at that one because there's a reason that Chelsea are putting an obligation in there.

"That’s telling you that they don't want the player anymore if they're saying that Wolves have to buy him because if Chelsea still had faith in Broja, they would be sending him to Wolves to score the goals they've been hoping he would get and bring him back into the picture to do a job for them. But that's not the case at the moment. Chelsea are saying it's got to be an obligation."

Related O'Neil and Wolves eye "red-hot" striker available for £20m – report

Only Jude Bellingham has scored more goals than him this season.

Posts ByDavid Comerford Jan 12, 2024 Diallo and Mayoral among Broja alternatives

If Wolves don't respond positively to the aforementioned ultimatum, there are a couple of different targets they could pivot towards in the final days of the window. One of those is Getafe striker Borja Mayoral, who's been watched closely and shares the same agent as Hugo Bueno.

Crystal Palace and Arsenal are interested too, but with Getafe demanding £20m, he too could prove overly expensive for a side walking a financial tightrope.

That could lead Wolves to favour Al-Shabab's Habib Diallo, who's apparently grown unhappy in Saudi Arabia and wants to return to Europe. There's rival interest in France and Germany, but they're apparently ready to loan him out if they receive an appropriate offer.

Wolves have clearly taken ample time to assess their options and lay the groundwork for some potential deals, but we're fast approaching the phase of the window where they need to press the button and move forward.

أكد أحمد الشيخ، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الإسماعيلي، على تعرض الراحل إيهاب جلال مدرب الفريق لضغوطات كبيرة قبل وفاته.

وتوفى إيهاب جلال، أمس الأربعاء، بسبب تعرضه لجلطة في المخ ونزيف حاد تسبب في وفاته داخل إحدى المستشفيات بعد أيام في العناية المركزة.

طالع..شقيق إيهاب جلال يروي تفاصيل جديدة بشأن حالته وآخر حديث بينهما قبل الوفاة

وكتب أحمد الشيخ، عبر حسابه على “فيس بوك”: “أنا حياتي إتغيرت بعد فضل ربنا ثم فضل الراجل ده، علمني كتير أوي وحققت معاه حاجات كنت بحلم بيها من صغري، كم الخير اللى بيعملوا أنا شوفته إنهاردة من حب ودعاء الناس له”.

وتابع: “مشيت وسبتني ليه سبتني ليه يا بوب مش قادر أصدق إنى مش هشوفك تاني، كنت نعمه الأب والمدرب، اديتنى كتير أوي وفضلك عليا بعد ربنا كبير، وكان نفسي أردلك جزء من حقك إلى جنات النعيم يا أبويا”.

وواصل: “يارب ارحمه واغفر له يارب، اجعل مرضه شفيعا له يارب، أنت عالم بكل شيء وعالم إنه كان أطيب حد في الدنيا دي مفيش حد هييجي زيه، عمره ما تأخر على حد في مساعدة قدام عيني كنت أقوله وأحسده في الخير ما شاء الله يا بوب، أنت بتساعد الناس كلها وعمرك مقفلت باب في وش حد، كان يقولي يابني الحاجات دي هي اللى باقية وكله تجارة مع الله”.

وأكمل: “آخر فترة كان متأثرًا جدًا بسبب اللي حصله مع المنتخب، وكم الضغوطات اللي اتحط فيها، لكن هو قوى جدًا وكان يتحمل المسئولية”.

وأتم: “عمره ما طلع قال مبررات أو جاب الغلط على لاعيبة كنت أقوله ليه حضرتك مخدتش حقك على الأقل المادي من المنتخب وليه حضرتك متطلعش ترد وتعرف الناس اللي حصل وليه حضرتك متردش على الناس اللي بتسيء ليك، يقولي يابني دى كلها صراعات ودنيا أنا مش عايز منها حاجة، أنا عايز الآخرة، لما ربنا يفتكرني عايز الناس كلها تدعيلي، بالله عليكم لا تنسوه في الدعاء”.

A Kylian Mbappe-less and youthful Paris Saint-Germain side rounded off their Ligue 1 season with a comfortable 2-0 win away at Metz on Sunday night.

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• PSG beat Metz 2-0 in final Ligue 1 game
• Mbappe & Dembele not in matchday squad
• Soler & Lee score for much-changed side

• Getty images
  

  TELL ME MORE

  Two goals inside the first 12 minutes from Carlos Soler and Lee Kang-in secured all three points for the visitors at Stage Saint-Symphorien. With the likes of Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Marquinhos, Vitinha, and Fabian Ruiz rested, manager Luis Enrique gave a host of players under the age of 23 a chance to shine. Senny Mayulu, 18, Lucas Beraldo, 20, Nuno Mendes, 21, and more, did just that as the French champions rounded off their latest Ligue 1 campaign in style.

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  THE MVP

  In a game where PSG fielded a host of exciting but raw youngsters, older, wiser heads are sometimes needed. And while he may not have meant it, 27-year-old Soler's curling effort proved too much for Alexandre Oukidja and settled any nerves for the visitors. He has been linked with a summer transfer exit but he proved his worth for PSG in this encounter.

• THE BIG LOSER

  Metz as a whole had a great chance to get a rare win against this young, inexperienced PSG side but they had just 23 percent possession and 10 shots to the visitors' 19. They didn't do nearly enough to trouble Keylor Navas in goal.

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  WHAT COMES NEXT?

  Following the conclusion of the Ligue 1 season, PSG will try to complete a domestic double when they take on Lyon in the French Cup final on May 25. For that match, Mbappe and Co will be back, as the French World Cup winner prepares to play his last game for the club before he completes a reported free transfer to Real Madrid this summer.

Aston Villa have joined the race to sign an overseas defender who could replace Clement Lenglet in January, according to a fresh report.

Lenglet expected to leave Villa

Over the summer, Lenglet put pen to paper on a season-long loan from Barcelona, but with no option or obligation to buy included within the agreement, and there’s even a chance that he could be returning to his parent club early.

The Midlands outfit are set to hold talks with the centre-back’s representatives in order to discuss terminating his deal, and with AC Milan interested in securing his services should that happen, there’s a strong possibility that he will be heading for the exit door.

With NSWE, Monchi and Unai Emery possibly having to enter the market to search for his successor, Torino’s Alessandro Buongiorno has been identified as a target having worked his way up through his club’s academy to become a regular feature of their first-team (Transfermarkt – Buongiorno statistics).

The Italy international has firmly established himself as Ivan Juric’s overall best-performing player this season with a match rating of 7.15 (WhoScored – Torino statistics), and the 24-year-old’s impressive form has seemingly caught the eye of the hierarchy in the Midlands.

Villa interested in Buongiorno

According to Italian outlet Roma Metropolitan Magazine (via CaughtOffside), Aston Villa are in the running to sign Buongiorno ahead of January.

Premier League rivals West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea have also been credited with an interest in the defender, but he won’t come cheap. Torino reportedly value their colossus at over €30m (£25m), though it remains to be seen whether this is a price that any of his admirers would be willing to pay.

Buongiorno is a "dominant" young defender

Standing at 6 foot 2, Buongiorno provides a real physical presence at the heart of a backline with his height which he’s proven so far this season, as he’s currently averaging 3.8 clearances, 2.9 aerial wins and 2.5 tackles per game in the Serie A (WhoScored – Buongiorno statistics).

The Turin native is also capable of making a positive impact at the opposite end of the pitch having clocked up 16 involvements, eight goals and the same number of assists, since the start of his career, with his ability to get involved both defensively and offensively making him a well-rounded player.

Emery’s left-footed target is even a versatile operator having previously been deployed as a left-back and slightly higher up on the left side of the midfield alongside his usual role, so the fact that he is able to provide cover in other areas outside of his own will be another attractive attribute to the manager.

As dubbed by journalist Josh Bunting, Buongiorno is a “dominant” centre-back when it comes to winning his individual battles, and while he could be a fantastic recruit for Aston Villa, it sounds like they are set to face plenty of stiff competition to get him to sign on the dotted line in January.

Mikel Arteta admitted that he has "all the sympathy in the world" for Mauricio Pochettino after Arsenal thrashed Chelsea 5-0.

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• Chelsea were outplayed by Arsenal
• Arteta shared his sympathies with under-fire Pochettino
• Believes he has been "doing a great job"

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Gunners' triumph, fuelled by Leandro Trossard’s brilliant opening goal and doubles from both Ben White and former Chelsea striker Kai Havertz, propelled them four points clear at the summit of the Premier League table, leaving Manchester City trailing but with two games in hand. It was a tough night for Pochettino as his Chelsea side capitulated in the second half and his Arsenal counterpart, who has been a dear friend of his since their playing days at Paris Saint-Germain, had nothing but kind words for the Argentine manager.

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  WHAT ARTETA SAID

  When questioned about Pochettino's predicament, Arteta responded with unwavering support and said: "All the sympathy in the world. With everything that he’s been through and everything that he’s been doing. He knows that. I’ve been on the other side as well. He’s doing a great job, I think when you look at this team and analyse every second of them, they deserve to win many matches, they deserve to win against big teams.

  "He’s doing a really good job so hopefully things will turn around and be as he deserves. I love winning. He would try to do the same. When you talk about sympathy and someone I love and admire, for sure, I want the best for him.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Amidst Arsenal's recent setbacks, including defeat to Aston Villa and elimination from the Champions League by Bayern Munich, Arteta found solace in his team's resilient response against their city rivals.

  “Just face the reality, that’s it. The margins are so small and in some things, you cannot be better than your opponent," he said.

  “You might not have the luck when you need it in certain moments but you need to react and face the moment. That moment is beautiful. We’ve been working on it for nine months, so we have to face it in the right way. Value what we have, and especially believe. If you are able to believe for nine months, you are able to win it. But you have to believe it first and consistently do what you have been doing. Nothing else.”

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Chelsea were guilty were giving away possession cheaply as Arsenal snatched the ball 15 times in the final third against them – the maximum turnovers under Arteta in a Premier League match.

Derby County continue to challenge for promotion this term and Paul Warne is now reportedly keen to bring a talented youngster to Pride Park in January.

Derby County prepare for congested fixture schedule…

Derby County were afforded a free weekend in League One due to being knocked out of the FA Cup in a replay against Crewe Alexandra, which in spite of the manner of the defeat has given Warne's men some needed respite ahead of an important run of festive fixtures.

Last time out, Derby County narrowly managed to best Port Vale at Vale Park last week by a single goal to nil, as a late effort from Tyreece John-Jules wrapped up an important three points to keep them in contention for promotion.

The Rams currently occupy sixth position in the English third tier, with 33 points from their opening 18 fixtures in the division. In a competitive picture in the context of who could potentially gain entry to the Championship, Warne will be keen for his side to continue their consistent form, which has yielded just one loss from their last seven matches across all competitions.

Next up for Derby County is a home tie against Fleetwood Town in the second round of the Football League Trophy before a return to league action at the weekend, where they will travel to east London to face off against Richie Wellens' Leyton Orient side.

Derby County's next five fixtures – all competitions

Competition

Opponent

Venue

Football League Trophy

Fleetwood Town (H)

Pride Park

League One

Leyton Orient (A)

Brisbane Road

League One

Wycombe Wanderers (H)

Pride Park

League One

Lincoln City (H)

Pride Park

League One

Wigan Athletic (A)

DW Stadium

Come the New Year, bringing in additional reinforcements will be key to achieving their ambitions of gaining promotion and it now appears that an exciting young star is on the radar at Pride Park, according to a fresh report.

Derby County line up Ben Krauhaus move

According to TEAMtalk, Derby County are keen on Bromley midfielder Ben Krauhaus, who they have watched in action this campaign to monitor his progress at the National League outfit. Nevertheless, competition to sign the 19-year-old is vast, with Cardiff City, Swansea City, Millwall, Bolton Wanderers and Charlton Athletic all interested in offering the youngster a chance to make his mark in the Football League.

Out of contract in the summer of 2024, it remains to be seen whether the Rams look to try and initiate a move for Krauhaus in January or whether they try and wait it out until the summer to land the versatile player on a free transfer.

Capable of operating as a central midfielder or on both flanks, Krauhaus has made 23 appearances in all competitions for Bromley this campaign, registering two goals in the process (Krauhaus statistics – Transfermarkt).

Looking to the future is always an important feature of any side's squad building and although Krauhaus possibly wouldn't arrive as a first-team-ready player, he could be someone to nurture into an important player over the coming years at Pride Park.

Related Derby County eyeing January move to sign "incredible" new striker

The Rams are in need of reinforcements in pursuit of promotion…

Posts ByTom Cunningham Nov 23, 2023

Burnley boss Vincent Kompany has been hit with a two-match ban by the Football Association following his red card against Chelsea.

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Kompany given two-match ban for abusive languageWas red carded against Chelsea last month Also fined £10,000 by the Football Association WHAT HAPPENED?

As per the official statement released by the Football Association, the Belgian manager has been penalised for 'misconduct' during the 2-2 Premier League draw against Chelsea. Kompany will be prohibited from the touchline for one match, and the second will be postponed until December 31, 2024, for the remainder of the year. He has also been handed a personal fine of £10,000 ($12,530) due to the association.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The Clarets boss was outraged when Chelsea were awarded a penalty late in the first half of the Premier League match at Stamford Bridge. Lorenz Assignon was shown a second yellow card for the foul on Mykhailo Mudryk and Kompany protested to the referee Darren England after which he was shown a red card.

WHAT THE FA STATEMENT SAID

In a statement released on Thursday afternoon, the FA said: "Burnley FC's Vincent Kompany has been fined £10,000 and suspended from the touchline for two matches following misconduct at their Premier League game against Chelsea FC on Saturday 30 March. One match is to be served immediately and one match suspended until 31 December 2024.

"The manager admitted that his language and/or behaviour in the 40th minute of the fixture was improper and/or abusive and/or insulting towards a match official and/or questioned the integrity of a match official.

"An independent Regulatory Commission imposed his sanctions following a subsequent hearing."

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR KOMPANY?

The Belgian will miss Burnley's weekend clash against Brighton at Turf Moor as the Clarets look to start their defence against what looks like almost certain relegation as they sit six points from safety with six matchdays remaining.

Erik ten Hag remains unperturbed by Manchester United's defensive woes as he claimed he is more worried about results.

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Ten Hag not worried about Man Utd's defensive woesConceded 31 shots against BrentfordUnited held to 1-1 draw by BrentfordWHAT HAPPENED?

United conceded 31 shots against Brentford on Saturday as the home team at Gtech Stadium completely dominated them. The Bees hit the woodwork thrice while Andre Onana made quite a few quality saves to ensure that the visitors walked away with at least a point.

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

However, Red Devils boss Ten Hag claimed after the game that he was not too concerned about his team's defensive woes, although he admitted that Thomas Frank's side was the better team on the pitch.

WHAT ERIK TEN HAG SAID

At the post-match press conference, when the Dutch manager was asked if he was concerned about his team's defensive problems, he replied, "As long as we get results, no. I explained it once more, we defended low at times and because Brentford are very direct we lost many many second balls and we had to defend the box. We had a great goalkeeper, he was brilliant tonight, we have to say that also. Our results are quite consistent from January on but we concede shots, but we don't concede so many goals.

"We didn't deserve to win but we showed resilience all through the game. But in points of aggression, Brentford were better. We should show more passion and desire in many moments in the game. But when you are winning you should bring it over the line."

He added, "You can never compare such levels and performances [to their 4-3 win against Liverpool] but also when you don't play well you still have to win – we did it almost. That is my big disappointment that we didn't bring it over the line. We didn't play well but there was spirit, there was fight, but not enough. It was enough to get the goal, 1-0, and before that, we had a big chance for Rasmus Hojlund. We have many senior players, we should all stand up and take responsibility for this."

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

Bruno Fernandes and Co. will be next seen in action in the Premier League on Thursday as they take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. It is a must-win game for the club if they want to remain in the hunt for a top-four spot.

The 2024 Africa Cup of Nations is on its way – or should that be 2023? Technically, this is the 2023 AFCON but the competition was moved from this past summer to January 2024 because of worries about summer weather in Ivory Coast.

Regardless of what you want to call it, AFCON promises to be a fantastic tournament once again. Senegal will defend their crown, having won for the first time in 2022 (though that, too, was technically the 2021 edition).

So, we at Football FanCast have provided you with everything you need to know about AFCON 2024, then, as countries prepare to compete once again.

When is the next AFCON?

Well, this was supposed to take place across June and July – a move made a few years ago in order to end the clash with European club competitions. But because of concerns around Ivory Coast and its summer weather, the decision was made to move the tournament to January 2024.

And so this is sort of AFCON 2023 but we're confident people will refer to it as AFCON 2024. Certainly confusing, though!

It all kicks off on the 13th of January 2024, so around the time European football restarts after the winter break.

When does AFCON 2024 finish?

February 13th. The tournament will run for around one month, with the final scheduled for February 13th in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. That's the latest a final has occurred when taking place mid-season – last time, things finished on February 6th.

That is offset a little by a slightly later start but it's still notable that things will run a week longer into the season.

How long is AFCON 2024?

Fans of clubs with star African players always feel this tournament drags on forever. It is actually under a month long, though.

Things start on January 13th next year and will run until February 11th. Of course, how long players are at the tournament for entirely depends on how their nation performs. Make the final and they're gone for nearly a month. Early exit? Perhaps players will return after just a few weeks.

All in all, then, this tournament runs for 30 days. It's actually one of the longest editions yet, in fact.

Where is AFCON 2024 taking place?

Just about everything to do with AFCON is complex. The host nation, though, bumps things up to another level.

So this tournament was supposed to be in Guinea. However, Cameroon were stripped of their rights to host the 2019 edition back before that started as they weren't properly prepared. They struck a deal to instead host in 2021, which meant the original 2021 hosts – Ivory Coast – would be pushed back to 2023.

Of course, this tournament isn't even taking place in 2023 now, so essentially nothing about the original plan is in place. It will now happen in Ivory Coast, though. Guinea will have the honours in 2025.

Who has qualified for AFCON 2024?

Ivory Coast were technically the first team to qualify, of course, as they're hosting the tournament.

March then saw Morocco, Algeria, South Africa, Senegal, Burkina Faso and Tunisia confirm their places. Egypt, Zambia, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, Mali and Guinea then followed suit back in June this year.

Ghana and Angola just booked their own places, too, with Cameroon and Namibia rounded off the qualified sides, giving us our full cohort of competitors ready to battle it out for continental glory.

Who drew who in the AFCON 2024 draw?

The 2024 AFCON draw took place on 12th October and it is fair to say it has produced some seriously exciting match-ups to look forward to.

Tournament hosts Ivory Coast have been drawn in the same group as one of the favourites to lift the trophy, Nigeria. Meanwhile, holders Senegal have been drawn against Ghana in what promises to be a mouthwatering encounter.

Who was the top scorer in AFCON qualifying?

Plenty of elite forwards have competed in qualifying for this one, with former teammates Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané standing out as two of the absolute best. Neither, though, top the charts for scoring this time around.

Instead, Napoli star Victor Osimhen ended the campaign in top-spot with a genuinely impressive tally of ten goals – three of which came last time out thanks to a hat-trick against São Tomé and Príncipe. Mané is in a distant second place behind him with five of his own – Salah has only managed two.

Osimhen, of course, was sensational for Napoli last season as they won Serie A. He's widely tipped to be the top scorer at the actual tournament proper, too, and with his red-hot form in the qualifiers thus far, who'd bet against him?

Which Premier League players are going to AFCON?

African players are all over the Premier League, with more featuring than ever before. Of course, that means just about every club will be missing at least one player come January.

Now, a few teams will miss one not-so-important player. Then there's Liverpool, who will have to do without Mohamed Salah midway through the campaign. Nottingham Forest are a notable one, too – they'll potentially have seven players at AFCON this season.

In all, though, there are too many to mention in an article like this. Fortunately, we've got a handy cheat sheet to see exactly which clubs will be seeing an absence and who could be off.

Read more: Which Premier League players could miss matches due to AFCON?

Who won the last AFCON?

Senegal were the winners last time out, winning the tournament for the first time. It was a long time coming, too – they've consistently had one of the best sides for nearly two decades.

The final was a particularly notable one, too, as it saw Sadio Mané come up against then-Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah. The two forwards were seen as the two best players at the tournament, though neither had an international trophy to his name.

However, the two forwards couldn't find a way to goal. In fact, no one could and the final finished 0-0 after extra time. Things went to penalties and it was Mané who stepped up to seal the win after missing a penalty in the original 90 minutes. Notably, Salah was supposed to take no.5 for Egypt but never got the chance as Senegal wrapped things up 4-2.

Who are the favourites to win AFCON 2024?

It's difficult to name an outright favourite as the group stage hasn't been drawn that – the right or wrong group can push a team over the edge here. But there are certainly a few teams that stand out.

Senegal will draw eyes, of course. They won the competition in 2022 and boast several star names – though, it's worth mentioning that three of them now play in Saudi Arabia and outside of the elite European leagues. Sadio Mané, Kalidou Koulibaly and Edouard Mendy all made that jump this summer.

Nigeria deserve a mention, too. Victor Osimhen is arguably the best African player right now and is certainly the star striker on display. His 31 goals for Napoli last season make him a massive threat and he's the top scorer in qualifying.

Egypt boast Mohamed Salah. That's enough on its own to make them a threat in this one. Salah helped them get to the final last time and will believe he can push them to one better this time around.

It's Morocco who might have the best chance, however. They finished 4th at the World Cup last winter – the best of any African team in the competition's history. Their squad is littered with players across the top European leagues, too, with Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain), Sofyan Amrabat (Manchester United), Youssef En-Nesyri (Sevilla), and even Hakim Ziyech (Galatasaray) arguably the pick of the bunch.

Which country has won AFCON the most?

Egypt have won AFCON more than any other nation. They've lifted the trophy on seven separate occasions, including a three-peat from 2006 to 2010. Of course, they reached the final last time but lost to Senegal on penalties.

Next is Cameroon, who have managed to win the competition five times. Their most recent came in 2017 – 15 years after their previous win back in 2002. A third-place finish in 2021 put them very close to a sixth, too.

Ghana boast the next-best record with four – but we're going back quite a ways here. They haven't won the Cup of Nations since 1982 and have lost the final three times since then.

Nigeria are the fourth nation to win more than twice. They've picked up the trophy three times – the most recent of which was 2013.

Where to watch AFCON in the UK

Sky Sports and BBC Sport both have broadcasting rights for the tournament, with the former showing every match live, while the BBC will show a selection of matches throughout, including both semi-finals and the final across its BBC Three and BBC iPlayer platforms.