Which MLS players will feature at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations?
- Senegal won the 2021 edition over Egypt
- Only a handful of MLS players will feature at the competition
- Ivory Coast and Guinea-Bissau kick things off on January 13
A few Major League Soccer players have been called up to represent their national teams at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Senegal national team were crowned champions roughly two years ago in the 2021 edition of the competition, and now the 2023 edition is slated to kick-off in early 2024 due to the adverse weather conditions in the host country, Ivory Coast.
Here are the players that will take part in the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations.
1. Carlos Akapo (San Jose Earthquakes) - Equatorial Guinea
San Jose Earthquakes full-back Carlos Akapo hopes to continue his form he enjoyed in the 2023 MLS season into the upcoming AFCON tournament for Equatorial Guinea.
Since joining in August 2022 from La Liga side Cadiz, the 30-year-old has managed 31 appearances, registering two goals and three assists in all competitions.
Since his international debut in 2013, Akapo has suited up for his country 30 times, scoring one goal in the process. Akapo's Equatorial Guinea are in Group A, with their first clash to come against powerhouses Nigeria and Victor Osimhen on January 14.
Their final two group stage contests come against Guinea-Bissau on January 18 and Ivory Coast on January 22.
2. Steven Moreira (Columbus Crew) - Cape Verde
Like Akapo, Steven Moreira heads to AFCON in fine form following his outstanding campaign with MLS Cup winners Columbus Crew.
The 29-year-old is coming off a season where he suited up 43 times for the Crew across all competitions, continuing to establish himself as one of the best one-on-one defenders in MLS.
Moreira's Cape Verde begin their AFCON journey on January 14 vs Ghana in Group B. His nation rounds out their group stage against Mozambique on January 19 before their final clash vs Egypt and Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah on January 22.
3. Nouhou (Seattle Sounders) - Cameroon
Nouhou is coming off another solid season at the back with Seattle Sounders, where he's managed over 200 appearances since joining in January 2017.
His consistent performances at club level have transferred over to the international stage, too. The 26-year-old has earned 26 caps for the Cameroon national team and featured at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where his country finished in third place in Group G behind Brazil and Switzerland.
While Cameroon might not have a star-studded squad like Nigeria, Senegal, Morocco or Egypt, they could still prove to be a dark horse in the competition. Nouhou's home country were so close to reaching the 2022 final as they fell to Egypt in penalty kicks in the 2022 semifinals.
Cameroon kick-off their Group C campaign on January 15 vs Guinea, followed by a clash with reigning champions Senegal on January 19. Their group action concludes with January 23 meeting with Gambia.