The Africa Cup of Nation, formally known as AFCON, is the biggest international men's soccer competition in Africa, officially named CAN 2022, or Association of African Continental Nations. It was first held in 1957, and is currently one of the most popular international soccer tournaments in the world. This competition features teams from all over the world, as well as many from neighbouring regions of the African continent. The competition is widely considered to be one of the most prestigious in the world, with some claiming it to be as important as the World Cup. The competition is a collaboration of football nations, who are able to pool their resources and form the teams that they believe can represent their nations at the FIFA world cup.
The Africa Cup of Nation CAN 2021 is divided into two divisions, the Nations Cup and the Inter-nation qualifying tournament. Both the trophies awarded go to the winning team and this year's winner qualifies for the continental championship, set against the other eventual champions of the tournament. The prize money and the format of the competition means that it is a very prestigious occasion and many expect it to be as much of a crunch as the World Cup. Some people believe that the new generation of African players are better equipped than ever to represent their countries at the top level and take home the trophy. With qualification taking place throughout the year, meaning that the competition is always alive, it means that the quality of the African players available will always be high.
Some of the other countries competing for the Inter-nation title include Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and South Africa. It's important to note that the winner of the competition automatically becomes the holders of the two cups, meaning that there are no guarantees of who will be playing in the Inter-nation finals or the Nations Cup. It is far from certain whether any of these nations will qualify for the fifth placed spot in the 2021 FIFA world cup due to the poor season they have had so far. However, with the quality of the African teams in the competition, it is highly likely that they will at least progress to the quarter finals, giving them an excellent chance of reaching the final and becoming the first African team to win the Africa Cup of Nation.
