CAF Technical Study Group: “TotalEnergies CAF AFCON Cote d’Ivoire 2023 has exceeded expectations on the field”

The CAF Technical Study Group (TSG) has delivered the preliminary verdict on the on-going TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2023 and said the 2023 event has exceeded expectations on the field.

With the competition now entering the exciting semi-final stage, a total of 48 matches have officially been played, allowing for comprehensive data to be collected and analysed by the team of experts comprising of data analysts, technical directors, former footballers and coaches.

“We are experiencing a wonderful competition. This AFCON is the best in history on so many aspects,” said CAF Director of Technical and Development Raul Chipenda.

“The gap between the so called small and big teams has been substantially reduced. The coaches are displaying good quality in how they read the game before, during and after. Teams are tactically disciplined in different formations which shows the evolution of the African game. This tournament has over delivered, it has exceeded expectations.”

TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2023 in numbers:

§  At the end of the quarter-finals, the counter shows 113 goals scored, which already far exceeds the 100 goals recorded throughout the previous edition in Cameroon.

§  None of the eight teams present at the quarter-final stage in the last edition reached this stage of the competition this year.

§  65% of coaches chose 4-3-3 as their playing system. A flexible system varying from offensive to defensive. The TSG notes that the teams are increasingly well organized, depending on the systems put in place and the different blocks.

§  8 teams present in the quarter-finals are those having made the greatest number of substitutions: 26 for Mali and Cote d’Ivoire, 25 for Cape Verde, 24 for Angola; 22 for Nigeria and Guinea and 21 for the Democratic Republic of Congo.

§  60% of the 629 players present at this competition play in European leagues.

§  26% on African soil, 12% in Asian clubs and 1% in Latin America, America and Oceania

§  The average age of players in the competition is around 28 years old.

§  The Cape Verde team presents itself as the oldest with an average age of 28 years while Gambia (25 years) and Cote d’Ivoire (+/- 26 years) have the least average ages.

The CAF Technical Study Group comprises of highly experienced football analysts from across the continent who have served the African game in various technical capacities. They are as follows:

Another interesting aspect touched on by Chipenda was the cooling breaks taking place due to the soaring temperatures and humid conditions in Cote d’Ivoire.

“When coming to Cote d’Ivoire, one of the worries was heat and humidity. More or less, all venues are in same altitude. We have clear criteria for when temperatures are above 28 degrees where we implement cooling breaks which can be one in each half. 

Ahead of the matches, we measured temperatures and humidity data during the kick-off times which were 14h00, 17h00 and 20h00 in order to measure against the performance of the players and see how it impacted their performance. We have a clear understanding of what it takes to stage a such a competition in Africa, and all this was taken into account during the planning stages in order to ensure that players perform at the absolute best” said Chipenda.

In his closing remarks, Chipenda called for the continued investment into football development by African countries, adding that if all countries play an active role in investing in development, African football would grow even stronger and Africa would produce world-class players without relying too much on players abroad.

A comprehensive TotalEnergies CAF AFCON Cote d’Ivoire 2023 Technical Study Group report will be made available at the end of the competition by CAF.