Former Manchester City and Ivorian international Yaya Touré is confident about his country winning next year’s Africa Cup of Nations(AfCON).
The tournament is set to kick off on January 13, 2024, with the host, Ivory Coast, taking on Guinea-Bissau at the Stade Alassane Ouattara.
Touré is optimistic about his country having a successful campaign on home soil.
“I have every confidence in the Elephants and coach Jean-Louis Gasset to make us proud. I’ll be by their side and advise them,” he was quoted as saying by Afrique Sports. “They need all the support and encouragement they can get. Even if the fans can sometimes tie us down [be demanding] a bit, we’re counting on their unconditional support.”
Despite the fact that Ivory Coast is in the same group as Nigeria and Guinea-Bissau, Touré considers the former to be the favourites to advance to the next round with his country from Group A.
He also believes Senegal, South Africa, and Morocco are among the nations that can win the tournament.
“It’s normal to have a preference for your own country. 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 said.
Yaya Touré led Ivory Coast to their last AfCON trophy in 2015 after losing to Zambia in 2012. They beat Ghana 9-8 on post-match penalties to lift the trophy.
READ MORE: Top five stars missing the Africa Cup of Nations
The Elephants have won the Cup of Nations twice, with the first title coming in 1992.
