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The 32nd edition of the Africa Cup of Nations is being held in Egypt from June 21st to July 19th. Before the opening of this CAN at 24, RFI reviews the 552 players from the 24 qualified countries and returns to the benchmark figures of the great African competition. It is about records of precocity and longevity, goals in shambles, prestigious titles ... In short, the best of the CAN.
Who will succeed Cameroon, the African champion 2017 who will put his title at stake? The Indomitable Lions themselves, just to get closer to the record of the most titled nation? Egypt, who will evolve at home? Mauritania, one of three novice selections in the competition? Another country among the 24 qualified? It will be followed this summer with RFI.
► READING: CAN 2019: Calendar, results and standings of the Africa Cup
Before fully immersing yourself in this CAN 2019 in the land of the Pharaohs, we offer you a close up on the important figures of the competition. An analysis that focuses as much on past performance as expected over the next few weeks.
THE MOST YOUNG PLAYER: MARC LAMTI (TUNISIA)
The Africa Cup of Nations is turning 62, and in this 32nd edition, a cape is about to be crossed: for the first time, footballers born in the twenty-first century will perhaps play. The youngest palm goes to Tunisia defender Marc Lamti, aged 18 and 4 months. He is the only player born in 2001 summoned for the 2019 CAN. Born in Cologne on January 28, 2001, Lamti, who lives in Bayer Leverkusen, decided to represent the Carthage Eagles. .
Only four players who participate in this edition of the CAN are natives of 2000 and 2001, two of whom came together on this shot: Mohamed Amissi from Burundi (born August 3, 2000) and the youngest of all, our champion Marc Lamti (born on January 28, 2001). pic.twitter.com/gyw5qb62Uh
FTF (@FTF_OFFICIELLE) June 19, 2019The Malian Cheick Doucouré, the Bissaoguinean Edimar Vieira Ca "Ivanov" and the Burundian Mohamed Amissi were born in 2000.
Note that Marc Lamti will not beat the record of the youngest player to have played a CAN match. This distinction goes to the Gabonese Shiva Star N'Zigou, who was 16 years old, 2 months and 30 days old when he played (and scored) against South Africa during the CAN 2000. However, the former striker admitted, in an interview given during the summer of 2018, that he had been forced to lie about his age at the beginning of his career and that he was actually five years older.
THE MOST AGGREGATED PLAYER: NABY-MOUSSA YATTARA (GUINEA) FAR BEHIND ESSAM EL HADARY (EGYPT)
Guinea goalkeeper Naby-Moussa Yattara is the oldest player in the competition. The doorman of Syli National and AS Excelsior, a club on the island of Reunion, has the title of Dean with his 35 years, 5 months and 9 days (its precise age at the kickoff of CAN 2019 , June 21st).
It still remains a good distance from the absolute record established in 2017 by the legend of Egyptian football, Essam El Hadary. The Pharaoh keeper was 44 years and 21 days old when he played in the final of the last CAN. El Hadary is also the oldest player in a World Cup (45 years, 5 months and 11 days at the 2018 World Cup). He would have liked to improve his record in this CAN 2019, but Javier Aguirre did not call him.
THE MOST YOUNG SELECTION: MALI
Mali, which nearly missed this CAN on disqualification , is presented with the youngest group. The average age of the Eagles is only 24.21 years old. A glance at the group of Mohamed Magassouba allows to better understand. The oldest player, goalkeeper Ibrahim Bosso Mounkoro, is only 29 years old. And at the other end, there are two players who are still only 19 years old: Cheick Doucouré and the great hope Sékou Koïta.
THE OLDEST SELECTION: MADAGASCAR
For the first CAN in the history of the Malagasy selection, Nicolas Dupuis relied on the experience. The French coach convinced Jérémy Morel to join the Barea. Result, the Lyonnais is the dean with his 35 years, 2 months and 21 days, and the average age of the group climbs: 28.65 years. It is true that of the 23 internationals, 8 of them (including 7 field players) are over 30 years old.
THE BEST SHOPPERS: ANDRÉ AYEW AND ASAMOAH GYAN (GHANA) FAR BEHIND SAMUEL ETO'O (CAMEROON)
Except sounding exploits, Samuel Eto'o will keep his title of top scorer in the history of the CAN still a few years. The Cameroonian is at the top with 18 goals in 6 CAN. In this 2019 edition, two players can get closer, and both are the same colors: the strikers of the Black Stars, the Ghanaian Andre Ayew (29) and Asamoah Gyan (33), 8 goals each. They are the best scorers active and present for this CAN.
The record of goals on a single CAN will also be hard to come by. In 1974, the Congolese Pierre Ndaye Mulamba - who died at the beginning of the year at the age of 70 - had scored nine times in the colors of Zaire. Over the last 20 years, the top scorers have not exceeded 5 achievements in one edition.
THE NOVICE COUNTRIES ARE NOW THAN TWELVE
With this passage from 16 to 24 qualified, 3 selections who had never played in the African Cup of Nations will experience their first: Burundi, Madagascar and Mauritania. This means that there are still 12 countries that have never appeared in the final phase of the CAN: Central African Republic, Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Eswatini, Gambia, Lesotho, Chad, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Somalia and South Sudan.
THE OLD-HOUSE: EGYPT
The Pharaohs and the African Cup of Nations is an old story. Egypt had participated and won the first edition in 1957. A CAN that included only three nations - Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan - remember. In 32 editions she has 24 appearances in the finals; no country does better. Côte d'Ivoire (23 qualifications) and Ghana (22 qualifications) follow.
THE EXPERT: ALWAYS EGYPT
The different selections of Egypt do not lose often when they reach the finals. Certainly, the last time, it went wrong against Cameroon. But generally, the Pharaohs savor: in 9 finals, they have imposed themselves 7 times. Cameroon counts him 5 victories for 2 defeats.
THE UNHEUROUS: GHANA
Since 1982, the Black Stars run after a fifth victory in CAN. It's not for lack of trying ... But beside its four coronations, Ghana drags five defeats in the finals. It is the nation that lost the most finals in front of Nigeria (four defeats). Burkina Faso, Guinea, Libya, Mali, Uganda and Senegal share a sad title: that of only nations to have reached the finals but never to have won.