The AFCON 2023 tournament is just around the corner and millions of football fans across the entire continent are brimming with excitement.
As Africa's biggest football extravaganza kicks off this weekend, defending champions Senegal, and 2022 FIFA World Cup semi-finalists Morocco are two of the pre-tournament favourites to win the AFCON trophy in Ivory Coast.
However, both countries are not in the top-ten youngest squads amongst the 24 nations set to compete this weekend.
While experience is pivotal to winning titles, one cannot take away the place of youthfulness in the fight to win titles as young players have proven over the years they too can decide the outcome of any competition.
In our survey of the 24 teams, the Pharaohs of Egypt have the oldest AFCON squad with an average of 28.85 years, while the Taifa Stars of Tanzania head into AFCON 2023 as the youngest squad with an average age of 24.64 years.
Where does the Super Eagles rank in AFCON 2023 youngest squads?
The Super Eagles of Nigeria is not in the top-ten youngest squads heading into AFCON 2023.
With an average age of 26.52 years, the Nigerian team is 12th on the list of the youngest squads out of the 24 participating countries.
Nigeria's position on the list is a clear indication they have a couple of experienced players in the team.
The oldest members of the squad are captain Ahmed Musa (31 years), Semi Ajayi (30 years), Kenneth Omeruo (30 years), William Troost-Ekong (30 years), Olorunleke Ojo (28 years) Moses Simon (28 years), Stanley Nwabali (27 years), Chidozie Awaziem (27 years), Ola Aina (27 years), Joe Aribo (27 years), and Kelechi Iheanacho (27 years).
Meanwhile, the youngest members of the squad are Raphael Onyedika (22 years), Alhassan Yusuf (23 years), Calvin Bassey (24 years), Samuel Chukwueze (24 years), and Terem Moffi (24 years).
Youngest AFCON 2023 squads
We have carefully taken the average age of all the 24 teams that will participate in the next AFCON tournament.
The objective is to get our readers know the squad age gaps between the various countries that are gunning for the AFCON title.
Ranked from the youngest to the oldest, get to know where your favourite teams fall on the list.
- Tanzania – 24.64 years
- Equatorial Guinea – 24.70 years
- Guinea Bissau – 25.04 years
- Cameroon – 25.04
- Burkina Faso – 25.07 years
- Mali – 25.85 years
- Zambia – 26.00 years
- The Gambia – 26.17 years
- Guinea – 26.24 years
- Mauritania – 26.37 years
- Ghana – 26.41 years
- Nigeria – 26.52 years
- Morocco – 26.59 years
- Angola – 26.60 years
- Ivory Coast – 26.74 years
- Senegal – 26.93 years
- DR Congo – 27.29 years
- Algeria – 27.35 years
- Tunisia – 27.41 years
- Mozambique – 27.49 years
- South Africa – 27.52 years
- Namibia – 27.57 years
- Cape Verde – 28.10 years
- Egypt – 28.85 years
While the experience of old players has helped some countries win the AFCON trophy in previous years, in recent times, Cameroon with the youngest squad during the 31st edition in 2019 triumphed against all odds to prove just how young teams can also defeat the more experienced sides.
This article was most recently revised and updated 11 months ago
