Senegal veteran defender, Kalidou Koulibaly, believes the forthcoming 2023 AFCON in Ivory Coast will be the best in the history of the tournament.
Kalidou Koulibaly and his national teammates who are the reigning winners of the tournament, arrived in Ivory Coast aiming to land their second AFCON as the competition kicks off on January 13.
Senegal are paired in Group C with three of the most competitive teams in the tournament: The Gambia, Guinea, and Cameroon. These teams will be fierce competitors for the title as they have proven to be comfortable against any kind of opponent.
However, Senegal who have advanced to two straight AFCON finals (2019, 2021), are unquestionably among the top contenders for the title.
Speaking to CAFOnline.com from the team’s base in Yamoussoukro, where they will play most of their Group C games, Kalidou Koulibaly predicted that since all the best football nations in Africa have made it to the 2023 AFCON, the edition will be the best in history.
“I think that the Ivory Coast edition will be the best in the history of the competition because all the big teams are present and are fully prepared”, he said. “It will show the true image of African football, and I think that whoever wins the title in the end will deserve it.”
Senegal will kick off their title defense on 15 January against Gambia before meeting the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon in a battle of the Lions three days later before ending their group stage campaign against Guinea on 23 January.
Kalidou Koulibaly, the captain of Senegal, pleaded with his countrymen to remember the squad in their prayers as they get ready to defend the title they won in Cameroon in 2022.
“I ask the Senegalese fans to be behind us during the competition and to pray for us in their prayers. Their support will take us far in the competition, and we will represent them well and give them a big gift in the end”, he said.
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