Profile on Group E for 2021 Africa Cup of Nations

Factbox on Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers Algeria

Africa Cup of Nations record
- Previous appearances in finals: (18) 1968, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2010, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019.
- Best performance: Winners 1990, 2019
- Drawn in Group E with Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone
- Coach: Djamel Belmadi

The 45-year-old French-born coach led Algeria to the last Cup of Nations title and on an unbeaten run of 31 games, marking him out among the top performing African coaches since he took over in August 2018.

His managerial career began at club level in Qatar and he took charge of their national team for a year, but was fired after Qatar finished bottom of the group at the 2015 Asian Cup in Australia.

As a player, he was a feisty midfielder on the books of Paris St Germain, Olympique Marseille, Manchester City and Southampton from 1995-2009 and captained Algeria at the 2004 Cup of Nations finals.

Key player: Riyad Mahrez. Age: 30. Winger

The 2016 African Footballer of the Year was born in Sarcelles, France but his father hailed from Algeria and he was invited to play for the North Africans at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

He has since participated at the last three Cup of Nations finals, leading Algeria to the title last time out.

He played a key role in Leicester City’s shock Premier League triumph in 2016 and has won two more league titles with Manchester City.

FIFA world ranking Dec 2021: 29

How they qualified: Top placed team in qualifying Group H, ahead of Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Rais Mbolhi (Al Ittifaq), Alexandre Oukidja (Metz), Moustapha Zeghba (Damak)

Defenders: Youcef Atal (Nice), Abdelkader Bedrane (Esperance), Houcine Benayada (Etoile Sahel), Djamel Benlamri (Qatar SC), Ramy Bensebaini (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Ilyes Chetti (Esperance), Reda Halaimia (Beerschot), Aissa Mandi (Villarreal), Mehdi Tahrat (Al Gharafa), Mohamed Amine Tougai (Esperance)

Midfielders: Haris Belkebla (Stade Brest), Sofiane Bendebka (Al Fateh), Ismael Bennacer (AC Milan), Yacine Brahimi (Al Rayyan), Sofiane Feghouli (Galatasaray), Adam Ounas (Napoli), Ramiz Zerrouki (Twente Enschede), Adem Zorgane (Charleroi)

Forwards: Mohamed El Amine Amoura (FC Lugano), Youcef Belaili (unattached), Said Benrahma (West Ham United), Farid Boulaya (Metz), Baghdad Bounedjah (Al Sadd), Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City), Islam Slimani (Olympique Lyonnais).

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Factbox on Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers Ivory Coast

Africa Cup of Nations record
- Previous appearances in finals: (23) 1965, 1968, 1970, 1974, 1980, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019
- Best performance: Winners 1992, 2015
- Drawn in Group E with Algeria, Equatorial Guinea and Sierra Leone.
- Coach: Patrice Beaumelle

The 43-year-old Frenchman will be the youngest coach at the tournament but among the most experienced.

He served as an assistant to Herve Renard when Zambia won the title in 2012 and again with the Ivory Coast.

Beaumelle branched out on his own in 2019 when Renard left for Saudi Arabia and he stayed on, becoming the national team coach for the Ivorians.

Key player: Wilfried Zaha. Age: 29. Winger.

Made his debut for the Ivorians at the 2017 Cup of Nations finals after switching his international allegiance from England, for whom he won two caps in friendly internationals. Zaha was born in Abidjan but moved to London aged four, coming through the academy at Crystal Palace.

FIFA world ranking Jan 2021: 56

How they qualified: Top placed team in Group K, ahead of Ethiopia, Madagascar and Niger.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Abdoul Karim Cisse (ASEC Abidjan), Sylvain Gbohouo (Wolkite Ketema), Badra Ali Sangare (JDR Stars), Eliezer Ira Tape (San Pedro)

Defenders: Serge Aurier (Villarreal), Eric Bailly (Manchester United), Willy Boly (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Simon Deli (Adana Denirspor), Wilfried Kanon (Pyramids), Ghislain Konan (Stade de Reims), Odilon Kossounou (Bayer Leverkusen)

Midfielders: Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro (Lazio), Jeremie Boga (Sassuolo), Maxwel Cornet (Burnley), Serey Die (FC Sion), Max Alain Gradel (Sivasspor), Franck Kessie (AC Milan), Habib Maiga (Metz), Ibrahim Sangare (PSV Eindhoven), Jean Michael Seri (Fulham), Hamed Traore (Sassuolo)

Forwards: Yohan Boli (Al-Rayyan), Sebastien Haller (Ajax Amsterdam), Karim Konate (ASEC Abidjan), Christian Kouame (Anderlecht), Jean Evrard Kouassi (unattached), Nicolas Pepe (Arsenal), Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace).

Factbox on Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers Equatorial GuineaAfrica Cup of Nations record
- Previous appearances in finals: (2) 2012, 2015
- Best performance: Semi-finalists 2015
- Drawn in Group E with Algeria, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone
- Coach: Juan Micha

The 46-year-old former international had some coaching experience in Spain at Fuenlabrada before returning home to join the local football federation, coaching first the women’s teams before taking on the men's Under-17 side.

He was asked to step in as a caretaker coach in November 2020 in the Cup of Nations qualifiers and was offered a one-year contract last March.

Key player: Carlos Akapo Age: 28 Defender

Amid a squad loaded with players born or based in Spain, Akapo is the only player who competes in LaLiga.

He was born in Elche with a father from Equatorial Guinea, and his younger brother Javier is also in the squad.

He made his Spanish top flight debut with Huesca before moving down a division to help Cadiz to promotion in 2020.

FIFA world ranking Dec 2021: 114

How they qualified: Second in qualifying Group J, behind Tunisia but ahead of Tanzania and Libya

Squad:

Goalkepers: Aitor Embela (Somozas), Jesus Owono (Deportivo Alaves), Manuel Sapunga (Futuro Kings), Mariano Magno (Deportivo Unidad)

Defenders: Carlos Akapo (Cadiz), Marvin Anieboh (Cacereno), Cosme Anvene (Deportivo Unidad), Saul Coco (Las Palmas), Miguel Angel Maye (Futuro Kings), Luis Meseguer (Navalcarnero), Basilio Ndong (Start), Luis Enrique Nsue (Futuro Kings), Esteban Obiang (Antequera)

Midfieders: Javier Akapo (Ibiza Islas Pitiusas), Alex Balboa (Deportivo Alaves), Ruben Belima, Federico Bikoro (both Hercules), Jannick Buyla (Gimnastic Tarragona), Santiago Eneme (Nantes), Pablo Ganet (Real Murcia), Jose Machin (Monza), Josete Miranda (Niki Volos)

Forwards: Dorian Hanza (Langreo), Luis Nlavo (Sporting Braga), Emilio Nsue (Apoel Nicosia), Pedro Oba (Futuro Kings), Iban Salvador (Fuenlabrada), Oscar Siafa (Olympiakos Volos).

Factbox on Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers Sierra LeoneAfrica Cup of Nations record
- Previous appearances in finals: (2) 1994, 1996
- Best performance: Group phase
- Drawn in Group E with Algeria, Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast
- Coach: John Keister

Manchester-born Keister played English league football at Walsall and was a Sierra Leone international during a spell at non-league Margate, where his coaching career also started.

He went to Sierra Leone to coach at FC Johansen before taking over as national coach in 2017.

Key player: Steven Caulker Age: 30 Defender

Caulker played for England in a 2012 friendly against Sweden and scored but was never capped by them again, allowing him to consider switching allegiance to either Scotland or Sierra Leone, where he has family ties.

He opted for Sierra Leone last year and completed the paperwork just before Christmas and will make his debut at the Cup of Nations finals.

Caulker started his club career at Tottenham Hotspur and played at seven other English clubs before moving to Turkey in 2019, where he is now at Gaziantep.

FIFA world ranking Dec 2021: 108

How they qualified: Second place in Group L, behind Nigeria but ahead of Benin and Lesotho.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Isaac Caulker (Kallon FC), Mohamed N Kamara, Ibrahim Sesay (both East End Lions)

Defenders: Umaru Bangura (Neuchatel Xamax), Steven Caulker (Gaziantep), Yeami Dunia (East End Lions), Daniel Francis (Rot Weiss Ahlen), Osman Kakay (Queens Park Rangers), Saidu Mansaray (Bo Rangers), David Sesay (Wealdstone), Kevin Wright (Orebro)

Midfielders: Prince Barrie (Bo Rangers), Abu Dumbuya (East End Lions), Saidu Fofanah (Kallon FC), Issa Kallon (Cambuur Leeuwarden), John Kamara (Kesla), Mohamed Kamara (unattached), Saidu Kamara (Bo Rangers), Idris Kanu (Peterborough United), Alhassan Koroma (Linense), Kwame Quee (Vikingur)

Forwards: Mustapha Bundu (Aarhus), Sullay Kaikai (Wycombe Wanderers), Alhaji Kamara (Randers), Kei Kamara (HIFK Helsinki), Musa Kamara (East End Lions), Mohamed Turay (Henan Songshan), Augustine Williams (San Diego Loyal).