The 2017 Africa Cup of Nations
kicks off on Saturday when hosts Gabon take on Guinea-Bissau at Stade de
l'Amitie in Libreville (16:00 GMT).
Borussia Dortmund's
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Liverpool's Sadio Mane headline the list
of stars taking part in the tournament, which was won by Ivory Coast in
2015.Here is our group-by-group guide to Afcon 2017:
Group A
Nickname: Panthers
Nations Cup High Point: (Quarter-finalists 1996, 2012)
How they qualified: Qualified as hosts. A solution was found for the lack of competitive matches by placing them with the three teams in Group I and categorising their matches as friendlies.
Team Guide: Gabon are the lowest-ranked team in the tournament according to Fifa (111).
The Nations Cup has been won 11 times - out of 31 - by the hosts and the Panthers will naturally have to cope with enormous expectation.
Based in the capital, Libreville, where they will get huge support, they have a chance to put down a marker when they face Guinea-Bissau in the opening match.
But a lack of depth is a huge concern, as is the absence of a defence capable of nullifying the continent's finest attackers.
The Coach: All coaches at the Nations Cup are under pressure, but there is probably more on Jose Antonio Camacho than most. The Spaniard has twice coached Real Madrid and took Spain to the quarter-finals of the 2002 World Cup.
How far can Gabon go? With a limited Burkina Faso and minnows Guinea-Bissau in this group, Gabon should be expecting to qualify - especially given home advantage. But there is also the danger of the squad crumbling under the pressure of hosting.
BURKINA FASO:
Nickname: Stallions
Nations Cup High Point: (Runners-up 2013)
How they qualified: Taking three points off Uganda was key to finishing top of a tightly-contested group because of a superior head-to-head record.
Team Guide: Hosts in 1998, Burkina Faso will be making their 10th appearance in the last 12 tournaments.
The 2013 tournament in South Africa is the only Nations Cup outside of Burkina Faso where the Stallions have ever won a match.
Their opening group victory over Ethiopia in 2013 represented the first time Burkina had won a match outside of their homeland (i.e. when hosting the 1998 Nations Cup) in 22 times of asking.
In Equatorial Guinea in 2015, they again failed to win a match.
Qualification for Gabon was a bit of a struggle for the Stallions and they certainly do not have the look of continental kings about them.
Key Player: Bertrand Traore is undoubtedly one of the most exciting forwards in African football today. He became a Stallion at the age of 15, and is the younger brother of Alain, who has been a lynchpin of the side in recent tournaments. Now aged 21, he is on a season-long loan at Dutch side Ajax from Chelsea.
How far can Burkina go? In 10 Nations Cups, the Burkinabe have failed on eight occasions to get past the group stage. However, on both occasions they have got out of the group, they have reached at least the semi-finals (1998, 2013). If they manage to beat Cameroon in their opening game, they will truly shake up the group.
CAMEROON:
Nickname: Indomitable Lions
Nations Cup High Point: (Champions 1984, 1988, 2000, 2002)
How they qualified: The two draws against South Africa were ultimately decisive in thwarting their man rivals' ambitions. In the end, the Indomitable Lions finished six points ahead of second-placed Mauritania.
Team Guide: Devoid of the stars of yesteryear, results have been more down than up for a nation once regarded as the gold standard for African football.
By the time Cameroon step onto the pitch in Gabon, it will be seven years since they last won a match at the Nations Cup.
For the record, the Indomitable Lions had reached the quarter-finals at every Nations Cup between 1998 and 2010.
Although Cameroon have lost their aura, recent results have given their fans some cause for optimism as they were unbeaten in qualifying and conceded only two goals.
The Coach: Hugo Broos has been in charge for less than a year after taking over from the sacked German Volker Finke. The Belgian has also coached in Greece, Turkey and Algeria in recent years.
How far can Cameroon go? There really is no excuse for Cameroon not to at least get out of this group. Anything short of a spot in the second round would be seen as a failure. If results follow script, they should make the semi-finals.
GUINEA-BISSAU:
Nickname: The Djurtus (African Wild Dog)
Nations Cup High Point: No previous appearances
How they qualified: Booked their debut at the finals by topping a group they were expected to prop up thanks to back-to-back wins against Kenya and a victory over 2012 African champions Zambia.
Team Guide: Guinea-Bissau is one of the world's poorest countries, ranked in the bottom 10 in the United Nation's human development index.
They are the 39th country to participate in the finals since the first tournament in 1957.
Before this campaign, Guinea-Bissau had played a mere 32 competitive internationals, in either Nations Cup or World Cup, winning onlyfour matches.
Their squad is a motley collection of expatriates (players of Guinea-Bissau heritage born in Europe) who play mostly for lower league clubs in Portugal.
Their presence is Gabon is one of the most remarkable stories in African football history.
Key Player: Cicero, who plays his club football for Pacos de Ferreira in the Portuguese top flight, is a technically gifted and physically imposing player. He has scored six goals in 14 internationals and is expected to lead the line for the newcomers.
How far can Guinea-Bissau go? Qualifying from a group in which they were expected to finish last was a phenomenal feat. But while you wish underdogs all the luck in the world, one gets the feeling that only a miracle will see them finish anywhere other than fourth in this group.
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