It is without a doubt that the ongoing AFCON 2023, is one of the most fascinating editions in the tournament’s history. We have seen the so-called underdog teams cause massive upsets to the heavyweights of the continent.
- NAMIBIA LIVE UP TO THEIR TRUE SENSE OF BEING BRAVE WARRIORS
Following their 1-0 win over the 2004 AFCON champions- Tunisia, Namibia etched their name in the history books after winning their first AFCON match in AFCON history.
Furthermore, what better way to get your first win? This was unprecedented as many bookmakers gave Tunisia the highest odds of winning.
2. BURKINA FASO WIN THEIR FIRST-EVER AFCON MATCH IN THE OPENING ROUND
Despite going all the way to the semi-finals on three out of their last five AFCON appearances, Burkina Faso won their first-ever AFCON match in the opening round following their 1-0 win over Mauritania. A crazy stat if you think about it.
3. HIGH HUMIDITY AND HOT TEMPERATURES ARE TAKING A TOLL ON EUROPEAN-BASED PLAYERS
“In hot weather, muscles, and skin compete for oxygen via the blood supply. The body has a reduced ability to decrease and maintain its temperature, and heat is lost through sweat evaporation. The quadriceps, muscles in the upper leg, are particularly susceptible to higher muscle temperatures when playing football in hot conditions.
When the core body temperature is raised, exercise capacity is reduced. Research has shown that footballers with better training cope better with higher core temperatures, compared to those who aren’t, showing the importance of conditioning training.
High heat and humidity results in the limitation of maximal intensity exercise, with a player’s distance and high-intensity activity decreasing.” According to research.
Thereby if the above findings is anything to go by, this reveals why most teams with huge players from Europe are finding it tough to play for ninety minutes.
It is without a doubt that this AFCON edition is a true embodiment of ‘Football is very unpredictable.’
