The number of participating countries in the African Cup of Nations has come a long way. Its humble begining in 1957, which took place in Sudan, was marked by only four participating countries, including; Sudan, Egypt, Ethiopia and South Africa.
Here is the full list of recently announced country squads participating the 26th African Cup of Nations which takes place in Accra between the 20th of January and the 10th of February.
African Cup of Nations (CAN) Country Squads / National Teams
GHANA
Coach : Claude Le Roy’s selection.
Captain :
Goalkeepers:
Richard Kingson (Birmingham City)
Sammy Adjei (Ashdod)
Fatau Dauda (Ashantigold)
Defence:
John Paintsil (West Ham)
Nana Kwasi Asare (FC Mechelon)
John Mensah (Rennes)
Alhassan Illiasu (FC Saturn)
Harrison Afful(Asante Kotoko)
Hans Adu Sarpei(Bayern Leverkusen)
Midfielders:
Anthony Annan (I.K. Start)
Eric Addo (PSV Eindhoven)
Michael Essien (Chelsea, England)
Bernard Kumodzi (Panionios FC, Greece)
Laryea Kingston (Hearts, Scotland)
Haminu Draman (Locomotiv Moscow, Russia)
Sulley Muntari (Portsmouth, England)
Andre Ayew (Olympique Marseille, France)
Ahmed Barruso (AS Roma, Italy)
Strikers:
Asamoah Gyan (Udinese, Italy)
Baffuor Gyan (FC Saturn, Russia)
Junior Agogo (Nottingham Forest, England)
Quincy Owusu-Abeyie (Celta Vigo, Spain)
Kwadwo Asamoah (Liberty Professionals, Ghana)
Others include:
Left-back – Harrison Afful
Goalkeeper – Fatau Dauda
forward – Kwadwo Asamoah
and Quincy Abeyie (Celta Vigo)
NIGERIA
Coach: Berti Vogts Selection:
Captain: Nwankwo Kanu
Goalkeepers:
Vincent Enyeama (Hapoel Tel Aviv, Israel)
Austin Ejide (Bastia, France)
Dele Aiyenugba (Bnei-Yehuda, Israel)
Defence:
Onyekachi Apam (Nice, France),
Taye Taiwo (Marseille, France),
Joseph Yobo (Everton, England),
Obinna Nwaneri (FC Sion, Switzerland),
Danny Shittu (Watford, England),
Rabiu Afolabi (Sochaux, France),
Ifeanyi Emeghara (Steua Bucharest, Romania),
Richard Eromoigbe (Levski Sofiaj, Bulgaria)
Midfielders:
Mikel Obi (Chelsea, England),
Seyi Olofinjana (Wolverhampton, England),
Onyekachi Okonkwo (FC Zurich, Switzerland),
Dickson Etuhu (Sunderland, England)
Strikers:
Ikechukwu Uche (Getafe, Spain),
Obinna Nsofor (Chievo Verona, Italy),
Osaze Odemwingie (Lokomotiv Moscow, Russia),
John Utaka (Portsmouth, England),
Nwankwo Kanu (Portsmouth, England),
Obafemi Martins (Newcastle, England),
Ayodele Makinwa (Lazio, Italy),
Yakubu Aiyegbeni (Everton, England).
SOUTH AFRICA
Coach:
Captain:
Goalkeepers:
Rowen Fernandez (Arminia Bielefeld, Germany)
Moeneeb Josephs (Bidvest Wits)
Itumeleng Khune (Kaizer Chiefs)
Defence :
Vuyo Mere (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Bryce Moon (Ajax Cape Town)
Aaron Mokoena (Blackburn Rovers, England)
Nasief Morris (Panathinaikos, Greece)
Tsepo Masilela (Macabbi Haifa, Israel)
Bevan Fransman (Moroka Swallows)
Benson Mhlongo (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Brett Evans (Ajax Cape Town)
Midfielders:
Kagiso Dikgacoi (Golden Arrows)
Lance Davids (Djurgardens, Sweden)
Surprise Moriri (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Teko Modise (Orlando Pirates )
Steven Pienaar (Everton England)
Elrio van Heerden (Club Brugge, Belgium)
Siphiwe Tshabalala (Kaizer Chiefs)
Strikers:
Sibusiso Zuma (Arminia Bielefeld, Germany)
Lerato Chabangu (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Excellent Walaza (Orlando Pirates)
Katlego Mphela (Supersport united
Thembinkosi Fanteni (Ajax Cape Town)
BENIN
Coach:Reinhard Fabisch
Captain:
Goalkeepers:
Valere Amoussou (Mogas 90)
Rachad Chitou (Wikki Tourists)
Yoann Djidonou (Red Star)
Defence:
Abdul Adenon (ASEC Abidjan)
Anicet Adjamossi (Creteil)
Damien Chrystosome (Casale)
Alain Gaspoz (FC Bagnes)
Achille Rouga (Stade Rennes)
Noel Seka (FC Fyn)
Bio A Traor (Panthres Djougou)
Midfielders:
Jocelyn Ahoueya (FC Sion)
Romauld Boco (Accrington Stanley)
Djiman Koukou (Soleil FC)
Mouri Ogunbiyi (Etoile Sahel)
Jonas Oketola (unattached)
Stephane Sessegnon (Le Mans)
Sosthne Soglo (Energie FC)
Seidath Tchomogo (East Riffa)
Strikers:
Abou Maiga (Creteil)
Wassiou Oladipikpo (JS Kabylie)
Razak Omotoyossi (Helsingborg)
Abdoulaye Ouzrou (Al Jazeera)
Oumar Tchomogo (Portimonense)
SUDAN
Coach:
Captain:
Goalkeepers:
Bahaeldin Abdallah (Al Merreikh)
Mahjoub El Moez (Al Hilal)
Akram El Hadi Salem (Al Merreikh)
Defence:
Mohamed Ali Khider (Al Hilal)
Ahmed Al Basha
Musa Al Tayeb (both Al Merreikh)
Omar Bakheit (Al Hilal)
Amir Damar (Al Merreikh)
Alaeldin Ahmed Gibril
Khalid Hassan (both Al Hilal)
Midfielders:
Yousef Alaeldin
Hamouda Bashir (both Al Hilal)
Badreldin El Doud (Al Merreikh)
Saifeldin Ali Idris
Hassan Isaac Korongo
Rtshard Justin Lado (all Al Hilal)
Mugahid Mohamed (Al Merreikh)
Haitham Mostafa (Al Hilal)
Mohamed Tahir (Al Hilal)
Strikers:
Abdelhamid Amari
Faisal Agab
Alaeldin Babiker
Haitham Tambal (all Al Merreikh)
SENEGAL
Coach: Henryk Kasperczak
Captain:
Goalkeepers:
Tony Sylva (Lille)
Bouna Coundoul (Colorado Rapids)
Cheikh Tidiane Ndiaye (Creteil)
Defence:
Habib Beye (Newcastle United)
Ibrahima Faye (Troyes)
Guirane Ndaw (Sochaux)
Abdoulaye Diagne Faye (Newcastle United)
Ibrahima Sonko (Reading)
Mohamed Adama Sarr (Standard Liege)
Souleymane Diawara (Girondins Bordeaux)
Lamine Diatta
Midfielders:
Bayal Sall (St-Etienne)
Pape Bouba Diop (Portsmouth)
Ousmane Ndoye (Academica Coimbra)
Malick Ba (Basel)
Pape Waio Ndiaye (Genoa)
Babacar Gueye (Metz)
Diomansy Kamara (Fulham),
Frederic Mendy (Bastia)
Strikers:
El Hadji Diouf (Bolton Wanderers)
Mamadou Niang (Olympique Marseille)
Henri Camara (West Ham United)
Modou Sougou (Uniao Leiria)
NAMIBIA
Coach:
Captain:
Goalkeepers:
Athiel Mbaha (Orlando Pirates)
Abisai Shiningayamwe (Jomo Cosmos)
Aphraim Tjihonge (Black Leopards)
Defence:
Franklin April (Civics)
Jeremiah Baisako (Ramblers)
Richard Gariseb (Wits University)
Gottlieb Nakuta (Blue Waters)
Maleagi Ngarizemo (FC Cape Town)
Michael Pienaar (Ramblers)
Hartman Toromba (Black Leopards)
Midfielders:
Collin Benjamin (SV Hamburg)
Brian Brendell (Civics)
Quinton Jacobs (Bryne)
Wycliff Kambonde (Jomo Cosmos)
Jamunavandu Ngatjizeko (Civics)
Sydney Plaatjies (Jomo Cosmos)
Oliver Risser (unattached)
Letu Shatimiene (Primeiro Agosto)
Strikers:
Rudolf Bester (Eleven Arrows)
Lazarus Kaimbi (Jomo Cosmos)
Muna Katupose (Oshakati City)
Jacob Pineas (Ramblers)
Meraai Swartbooi (Primeiro Agosto)
MALI
Coach:
Captain:
Goalkeepers:
Soumbeyla Diakite (Stade Malien)
Mahamadou Sidibe (PAS Giannina, Greece)
Oumar Sissoko (Metz)
Defence:
Adama Coulibaly (Lens)
Moussa Coulibaly (Mouloudia Alger)
Souleymane Diamoutene (Lecce)
Cedric Kante (Nice)
Boubacar Sidiki Kone (Maghreb Fes)
Amadou Sidibe (Djoliba)
Adama Tamboura (Helsingborg)
Sammy Traore (AJ Auxerre)
Midfielders:
Souleymane Dembele (Djoliba)
Drissa Diakite (Nice)
Mahamadou Diarra (Real Madrid)
Seydou Keita (Sevilla)
Djibril Sidibe (Chateauroux)
Momo Sissoko (Liverpool)
Bassala Toure (Levadiakos)
Strikers:
Mamadou Diallo (Qatar SC)
Mahamadou Dissa (Roeselare)
Frederic Kanoute (Sevilla)
Mamady Sidibe (Stoke City)
Dramane Traore (Lokomotiv)
EGYPT
Coach:
Captain:
Goalkeepers:
Essam Al-Hadari (Ahli),
Mohamed Abdul-Monsef (Zamalek)
Mohamed Sobhi (Ismaili)
Wael Khalifa (Al-Gaish)
Defence:
Wael Gomaa (Al-Sayliya, Qatar)
Ibrahim Saied (Ankaragucu, Turkey)
Shadi Mohamed
Ahmed Fathi (Ahli)
Sayed Moawad
Hani Saied
Sherif Abdul-Fadil
Moatasem Salem (Ismaili)
Mahmoud Fathallah
Tarek Al-Sayed (Zamalek)
Osama Mohamed (Petrojet)
Ahmed Samir (Harras Al-Hodoud).
Midfielders:
Mohamed Shawky (Middlesbrough, England)
Hossam Ghaly (Tottenham, England)
Ahmed Hassan (Anderlecht, Belgium)
Hassan Mostafa (Al-Wehda, Saudi Arabia)
Mohamed Abou-Treika (Ahli)
Hosni Abd-Rabou
Omar Gamal (Ismaili)
Waleed Soliman
Ahmed Shaaban (Petrojet)
Ahmed Mohamadi (ENPPI)
Mohsen Hendawi (Ghazl Mahalla).
Strikers:
Mohamed Zidan (Hamburg, Germany)
Emad Meteb (Ahli)
Amr Zaki (Zamalek)
Mohamed Fadl (Ismaili)
Ahmed Salama (Tersana).
CAMEROUN
Coach:
Captain:
Goalkeepers :
Kalililo Kakonje (Nathi Lions)
Kennedy Mweene (Free State Stars)
Mike Poto (Green Buffaloes)
Defence :
William Chinyama (Zesco Utd)
Rogers Kamwandi (Zesco Utd)
Joseph Musonda (Golden Arrows)
Billy Mwanza (Golden Arrows)
Kampamba Chintu (Free State Stars)
Clive Hachilensa (Mariehamn)
Kennedy Nketani (ZANACO)
Moses Sichone (Kickers Offenbach)
Elijah Tana (Al-Merreikh)
Midfielders :
Francis Kasonde (Power Dynamos)
Kennedy Mudenda (Power Dynamos)
Ian Bakala (Primeiro de Agosto)
Isaac Chansa (Helsingborg)
Rainford Kalaba (Zesco Utd)
Felix Katongo (Petro Atletico)
Clifford Mulenga (Pretoria University)
William Njobvu (Lusaka Dynamos)
Andrew Sinkala (Paderborn)
Strikers :
Christopher Katongo (Brondby)
Ignatius Lwipa (ZANACO)
Emmanuel Mayuka (Kabwe Warriors)
Collins Mbesuma (Bursaspor)
Jacob Mulenga (Strasbourg)
Dube Phiri (Primeiro de Agosto)
Felix Sunzu (Konkola Blades)
ANGOLA
Coach
Captain
Goalkeepers:
Lama (Petro Atletico)
Mario (InterClube)
Nuno (AS Aviacao)
Defence:
Marco Airosa (Fatima)
Delgado (Metz)
Jamba (AS Aviacao)
Kali (FC Sion)
Loco (Primeiro Agosto)
Machado (Anadia)
Rui Marques (Leeds United)
Yamba Asha (Petro Atletico)
Midfielders:
Andre (Kuwait SC)
Dede (Pacos Ferreira)
Edson (Pacos Ferreira)
Figueiredo (Osters)
Gilberto (Al Ahli)
Maurito (Kuwait SC)
Mendonca (Estrela Amadora)
Ze Kalanga (Boavista)
Strikers:
Flavio (Al Ahli)
Love (Primeiro Agosto)
Manucho (Petro Atletico)
Mateus (Boavista)
GUINEA
Coach
Captain
Goalkeepers:
Kemoko Camara
Naby Diarso (Satellite FC)
Naby Yattara (RACS Couillet)
Defence:
Dianbobo Balde (Celtic)
Habib Jean Balde (Reims)
Alseny Camara (Rodez)
Ibrahima Camara (Le Mans)
Kevin Constant (Toulouse)
Mohamed Alimou Diallo (Sivasspor)
Daouda Jabi (Trabzonspor)
Oumar Kalabane (Manisaspor)
Kamil Zayatte (Young Boys Berne)
Midfielders:
Mohamed Cisse (Bursaspor),
Pascal Feindouno (St Etienne)
Samuel Johnson (Ismaili)
Mohamed Sacko (Etoile Sahel)
Naby Soumah (CS Sfaxien)
Kanfory Sylla (Sivasspor)
Strikers:
Ismael Bangoura (Dynamo Kiev)
Karamoko Cisse (Verona)
Victor Correa (Cherbourg)
Fode Mansare (Toulouse)
Souleymane Youla (Lille)
TUNISIA
Coach:
Captain:
Goalkeepers:
Hamdi Kasraoui (Esperance)
Aymen Mathlouthi (Etoile du Sahel)
Adel Nefzi (Club Africain)
Defence:
Wissem Abdi (ZamaleK)
Wissem Bekri (Esperance)
Karim Haggui (Bayer Leverkusen)
Radhi Jaidi (Birmingham City)
Yassine Mikari (Grasshoppers)
Sabeur Ben Frej
Radhouane Felhi
Seif Ghezal
Mehdi Meriah (Etoile du Sahel)
Midfielders:
Chaouki Ben Saada (FC Bastia)
Jawhar Mnari (FC Nuremberg)
Mehdi Nafti (Birmingham City)
Majdi Traoui (Etoile du Sahel)
Kamel Zaiem (Esperance Tunis)
Chaker Zouaghi (Locomotive Moscow)
Strikers:
Yassine Chikhaoui (FC Zurich)
Silva Dos Santos (FC Toulouse)
Issam Jemaa (FC Caen)
Mehdi Ben Dhifallah
Mohamed Amine Chermiti (Etoile du Sahel).
Zambia
Coach: Patrick Phiri
Captain:
Goalkeepers
Kennedy Mweene (Free State Stars)
Kalililo Kakonje (Amazulu)
Defence:
William Chinyama
Hichani Himoonde (Lusaka Dynamos)
Kennedy Nketani (Zanaco)
Chintu Kampamba (Free State Stars)
Clive Hachilensa (Zesco United)
Joseph Musonda and Billy Mwanza (Golden Arrows).
Midfielders:
Ian Bakala
Felix Katongo (Premiero de Agosto)
William Njobvu (Lusaka Dynamos)
Clifford Mulenga (Pretoria University)
Francis Kasonde (Power Dynamos)
Rainford Kalaba (Zesco United)
Isaac Chansa (Helsinborgs IF).
Strikers:
Collins Mbesuma (Bursaspor)
Adubelo Phiri (Desportivo Premeiro Agosto)
Jacob Mulenga (Strasbourg Racing)
James Chamanga (Moroka Swallows)
Emmaunel Mayuka (Kabwe Warriors)
Christopher Katongo (Brondby IF).
MOROCCO
Coach:
Captain:
Goalkeepers:
Abdelilah Bagui (Maghreb Fes)
Khalid Fouhami (Raja Casablanca)
Nadir Lamyaghri (Wydad Casablanca)
Defence:
Jamal Alioui (FC Sion)
Abdessamad Chahiri (Difaa El Jadida)
Mickael Chretien (Nancy)
Talal El Karkouri (Qatar SC)
El Armine Erbate (Al Dafra)
Hicham Mahdoufi (Metalist Kharkiv)
Abdeslam Ouaddou (Valenciennes)
Midfielders:
Soufiane Alloudi (Al Ain)
Badr El Kaddouri (Dinamo Kyiv)
Abderrahmane Kabous (CSKA Sofia)
Houcine Kharja (Piacenza)
Abdelkrim Kissi (EN Paralimini)
Youssef Safri (Southampton)
Tarik Sektioui (FC Porto)
Strikers:
Hicham Aboucherouane (Esperance)
Maroune Chamakh (Girondins Bordeaux)
Bouchaib El Moubarki (Grenoble)
Youssef Hadji (Nancy)
Youssef Moukhtari (Al Jazeera)
Moncef Zerka (Nancy).
CÔTE D’IVOIRE
Coach :
Captain :
Goalkeepers:
Jean-Jacques Tizie (Esperance )
Boubacar Barry Copa (KSK Beveren)
Gerard Gnanhouan (Montpellier)
Defence:
Cyrille Domoraud (Creteil)
Blaise Kouassi (ES Troyes)
Abdoulaye Meite (Marseille)
Etienne Arthur Boka (Strasbourg)
Abib Kolo Toure (Arsenal)
Emmanuel Eboue (Arsenal)
Marc Zoro (FC Messina).
Midfielders:
Didier Zokora (St Etienne)
Emerse Fae (Nantes)
Kanga Gauthier Akale (Auxerre)
Romaric Ndri Koffi (Le Mans)
Gnegneri Yaya Toure (Olympiakos)
Gilles Yapi Yapo (Young Boys)
Guy Roland Demel (Hamburg)
Strikers:
Bakari Kone (Nice)
Didier Drogba (Chelsea)
Arouna Kone (PSV Eindhoven)
Bonaventure Kalou (Paris Saint-Germain)
Abdoul Kader Keita (Lille)
Aruna Dindane (Lens).
