ALMOST 50 years since first hosting the tournament, Cameroon will finally welcome the Africa Cup of Nations to its shores once again.

The 2021 edition kicks off on Sunday when the hosts face Burkina Faso in the nation’s capital Yaounde, followed by the other Group A game between Ethiopia and Cape Verde.

Cameroon were originally due to host the tournament in 2019 but their preparation was deemed inadequate by the Confederation of African Football. 

This wasn’t helped by strife in the region such as the ongoing Anglophone Crisis and the Boko Haram insurgency.

Egypt ended up hosting the 2019 tournament, with Cameroon given the opportunity to host the next edition in January 2021.

Though Afcon has looked to move to a summer schedule, as would be preferred by many clubs, a winter tournament in Cameroon means it avoids the country’s rainy season.

December to February are comparatively dry, meaning there is less chance of waterlogged pitches and games being called off due to heavy rain.

Covid postponed the 2021 tournament for a year, but it’s finally able to get underway this January with the final to be played on February 6.

Senegal are the favourites, with Egypt, Ivory Coast, Morocco, and 2019 champions Algeria all in with a chance along with the hosts.

The competition can be unpredictable, though, and 14 different nations have emerged victorious from 32 previous tournaments. 

The previous five finals have been contested by nine different nations with Ivory Coast the only team to reach the final twice in that period.

Some of the players on show will be household names and include Premier League stars Mohamed Salah, Edouard Mendy, Riyad Mahrez, Sadio Mane, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Wilfried Zaha.

But one of the attractions of the tournament is that normally low profile players can turn into cult heroes for their nation and beyond. There is global attention on local players.

This year’s 24-team tournament includes two debutants — Comoros and Gambia.

The Comoros finished second in their qualifying group behind Egypt, even managing to draw with the giants of the continent 0-0 in the home game in their capital, Moroni.

The majority of their players ply their trade in France, and French coach Amir Abdou is already revered in the island nation as a result of qualifying for the tournament.

Their most capped player, Youssouf M’Changama, made 30 appearances for Oldham Athletic in League One between 2012 and 2013, and now plays in France for Ligue 2 side Guingamp.

The Gambia, meanwhile, are the lowest-ranked nation in the tournament, but still managed to qualify for it as group leaders, securing memorable wins against Gabon, who also qualified, and Angola.

Their star player is 23-year-old Musa Barrow who plays in Italy for one of Serie A’s most interesting sides, Bologna. 

He has five goals and three assists from his attacking midfield position so far this season for his club.

Barrow will be looking to combine with striker Assan Ceesay who is enjoying one of his best-ever goalscoring seasons with Swiss side FC Zurich, having scored 11 in 17 league appearances so far this season.

Gambia’s 20-year-old Roma midfielder Ebrima Darboe is also highly rated.

After the Gambia, Ethiopia are the second-lowest ranked nation heading into the tournament. 

They boast a young trio of forwards — Mesfin Tafesse (20), Abubeker Nassir (21) and Amanuel Gebremichael (22) — but more experienced striker Getaneh Kebede will be key if they are to cause any upsets.

Southern Africa will be represented by Malawi and Zimbabwe as well as the Comoros after two former winners from the region, South Africa and Zambia, both failed to qualify.

Zimbabwe have one of the more interesting collections of players. They play their club football across the globe from Hamilton, Scotland (David Moyo), to Houston, Texas (Teenage Hadebe). 

Striker Tino Kadaware plays in the French top flight for Lyon, but it is 31-year-old captain Knowledge Musona they will be looking to for leadership and goals.

Malawi have been drawn in the same group as Zimbabwe, a group which also features favourites Senegal and Guinea.

Malawi’s 20-year-old defensive midfielder Charles Petro already has 24 caps for his country and has appeared in Champions League qualifiers for his club, Moldovan side FC Sheriff.

Elsewhere, Mauritania are competing in their second-ever tournament but also their second consecutive tournament having also qualified in 2019. 

Their nickname, Lions of Chinguetti, is one of many vibrant sobriquets to look out for during the tournament.

The word vibrant about sums up the Africa Cup of Nations, and there will be plenty to look out for in Cameroon in the upcoming weeks, even beyond the obvious star names and teams.

The nation is getting to host a tournament seven years after it was originally awarded, and it could well be one of the most intriguing Afcons yet.