Mauritania aiming to rewrite history in third attempt

Countdown to AFCON 2023 Presented by Ed Emeanua

Mauritania are looking to rewrite history in the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2023, where they will be making their third appearance.

They are drawn in Group D alongside Algeria, Burkina Faso, and Angola and will be based in Bouake.

With this being their third appearance, Mauritania’s last two appearances in 2019 and 2021 ended in the group stages; they are looking at rewriting history by advancing further.

TotalEnergies CAF AFCON Fixtures:

16 January

Burkina Faso – Mauritania: 14:00 GMT, Al Salam Bouaké Stadium.

20 January

Mauritania – Angola: 17:00 GMT, Salam Bouaké Stadium.

23 January

Mauritania – Algeria: 20:00 GMT, Salam Bouaké Stadium.

Road to Cote d’Ivoire

Mauritania finished second in the qualifiers with 10 points behind the leaders, the Democratic Republic of Congo, who finished with 12 points. The “Al Mourabitounes” scored eight goals and conceded 7 in their journey to Cote d’Ivoire.

The last match in the qualifiers was decisive in the qualification calculations when they took on Gabon, whom they overcame by 2-1 to seal their place in Cote d’Ivoire.

Player to watch: Abubakar Koita

Aboubakar Koita will be one of the most prominent “Al Mourabitounes” elements.

The 25-year-old has a solid scoring sense, which made him shine with his club, St. Trond, in the Belgian League, where he scored 11 goals in 20 matches this season.

Coach: Amir Abdo

Amir Abdo is among the coaches aspiring to write their names in golden letters on the continent. Abdo is a great motivator and believes in unity and team spirit.

TotalEnergies CAF AFCON record:

2019: First round

2021: First round