There are five reasons to be enthusiastic about AFCON 2022.

There are five reasons to be enthusiastic about AFCON 2022, including the presence of top names such as Salah and Mendy, as well as the fact that it will be free to watch in the UK.

THE 2022 Africa Cup of Nations begins today, promising to be a thrilling month of football.

The event has provoked outrage in England, with a number of Premier League managers taking to social media to express their displeasure.

Despite his squad already being stretched by injuries, Covid, and a congested schedule, Jurgen Klopp is thought to have ‘disrespected’ the next competition due to his unhappiness at losing three vital players.

While AFCON has been dogged by controversy before it was finally given the go-ahead, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic.

SEA OF STARS is the first book in the SEA OF STARS series.
First and foremost, the quality of the show will be laughable.

Mohamed Salah has every right to believe he is the finest player on the planet right now, and he will be representing Egypt in Cameroon’s tournament.

Look at his Liverpool teammates, with Sadio Mane (Senegal) and Naby Keita (Guinea) also representing their countries at the AFCON.

A number of Premier League talents, including Edouard Mendy, Riyad Mahrez, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Thomas Partey, Wilfried Zaha, and Wilfred Ndidi, will also be in Cameroon.

There will also be appearances by Achraf Hakimi, Kalidou Koulibaly, Andre Onana, and goal-mad Sebastien Haller.

Why wouldn’t you want to watch something with this much star power?

2. WATCH THE WONDERKIDS
EVERYONE enjoys seeing a promising young player shine on the biggest stage, whether it’s for club or country.

And at AFCON, a slew of talented kids will show off their skills.

Many players are still competing for a starting spot for their clubs, thus Hannibal Mejbri of Manchester United and Pape Matar Sarr of Tottenham Hotspur will have a point to prove.

Ilaix Moriba of RB Leipzig has struggled to live up to the promise after breaking onto the scene at Barcelona and joining RB Leipzig.

Issa Kabore, a Manchester City youngster, is also expected to play a significant role.

There will always be wildcards, of course.

With some scintillating performances for Espanyol in 2015, a relatively unknown defender turned the heads of Europe’s biggest clubs.

Eric Bailly, a 20-year-old who has since moved to Villarreal and Man United as a result of his outstanding performance at AFCON, was that 20-year-old.

3. ANYONE CAN PLAY.
THERE ARE CLEAR FAVORITES IN MOST TOURNAMENTS.
France and Italy will compete in the Euros, while Brazil and Argentina will compete in the Copa America.

However, one of the best aspects about AFCON is how level the playing field is.
No country has won the championship more than once since Egypt dominated with three straight titles between 2006 and 2010.

In 2012, Zambia stunned Ivory Coast on penalties, while Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, and Algeria have all won the tournament since then.

Senegal are the early favorites this time, but it’s a close race with Algeria, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Morocco, Nigeria, and Ghana.

The lack of a clear favorite, combined with the tournament’s history of a surprise package or two going all the way, makes it a thrilling watch from start to finish.

4. TURN ON THE TELEVISION
So here’s the icing on the cake: all 52 games – from the first group stage game through the final – will be shown live on television.

Every match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, while the BBC will broadcast ten games, including two quarter-finals, both semi-finals, and the final itself.

That means, in addition to the Premier League, Carabao Cup, FA Cup, and other domestic competitions, we’ve also got the Carabao Cup, FA Cup, and other domestic competitions.

The event begins on January 9 and concludes on February 6 with the final.

Even better, all of the matches are scheduled for 1pm, 4pm, and 7pm in the United Kingdom.

We’ll be straight into the Champions League final 16 ties by the time it’s over.

PURE PASSION #5
DURING THE FIRST LOCKDOWN, WE ALL TURNED ON THE TV TO WATCH ANY GAME WE COULD FIND.

You know the type: drab affairs played in front of no one and with no bearing on the outcome…

AFCON, on the other hand, is a far cry from that. Every contest has a carnival feel about it.

In 2019, about one million people watched all of the matches, with more than 100 goals scored.

When you combine ardent fans with world-class athletes, you can be sure of a winner.