OFFICIAL: Tunisia, Cameroon & Morocco announce AFCON squads, Onana decision made

Bafana Bafana's group opponents Tunisia, Cameroon and Morocco's final squads for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations have been confirmed, with a decision having been made on Andre Onana's participation too.

With the continent's showpiece tournament set to kick off on 13 January next year, teams who have qualified for the 34th edition of the competition have until the third of next month to submit their final squads, with the Indomitable Lions, the Carthage Eagles and the Atlas Lions among the latest to do so. 

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Cameroon have some notable individuals who have been selected in the side that will travel to the Ivory Coast for the tournament, including Besiktas forward Vincent Aboubakar, who was the top scorer at the previous AFCON in Cameroon, and Onana. 

The latter had initially retired from international football following spats with manager Rigobert Song and president of the Cameroonian Football Federation Samuel Eto'o at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. 

However, he made a shock return to the international set-up in September in an attempt to help his nation qualify for the upcoming tournament, which they did.

Since then, there was much uncertainty as to whether or not he would represent Cameroon at AFCON 2023. However, his inclusion in the squad has now been confirmed. 

What may come as another surprise to some is the exclusion of Bayern Munich striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting from the side set to travel to the Ivory Coast. 

Since the arrival of Harry Kane, the 34-year-old has fallen down the pecking order in Munich but has still managed to make 19 appearances in all competitions. He has, however, found the back of the net on only three occasions. 

As for Bafana's Group e opponents, this will be the 22nd time Tunisia will participate in what is arguably the continent's biggest competition, having won it in 2004.

A notable inclusion to their squad is FC Copenhagen's tricky forward Elias Achouri, who has scored four goals and contributed nine assists in 26 appearances for his club in all competitions so far this season. 

However, some fans will have questioned the decision to leave out Manchester United starlet Hannibal Mejbri, who has not made the squad despite making nine appearances for the Red Devils this season.  

Regardless, the Eagles of Carthage are still a considerable force that opposition sides, including South Africa, should be wary of. 

Morocco, meanwhile, will be hoping to pick up where they left off at last year's FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where they became the first-ever African team to reach the semi-finals of the tournament.

The Atlas Lions boast a star-studded line-up that includes Paris Saint-Germain's Achraf Hakimi, Bayern defender Noussair Mazraoui, two-time two UEFA Europa League winner Yassine Bounou, Galatasaray winger Hakim Ziyech, and more. 

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With the amount of firepower they have at their disposal, the North Africans have been pegged by some as one of the favourites to go all the way at AFCON 2023.

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