AFCON 2023 is undoubtedly the tournament of big surprises. If anyone needed convincing, the recent elimination of Morocco, the top favorite to win the title, provided the definitive argument.

With the departure of the "Atlas Lions," the competition bid farewell to the top five African teams according to FIFA's official ranking. In order, these are Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia, Algeria, and Egypt.

Morocco, Senegal, and Egypt all exited the tournament in the round of 16. The latter two suffered the most painful defeats, losing in the dreaded penalty shootout.

Meanwhile, Tunisia and Algeria (the 2019 champions) failed to even make it to the knockout stage, being eliminated in the group phase.

Currently, Nigeria, ranked sixth in the CAF rankings, is the highest-ranked African team still in the tournament.

The "Super Eagles" will face Angola in the quarterfinals, the team with the lowest FIFA ranking among those remaining. Despite Nigeria being the clear favorite, given recent events, no one should discount the possibility of another surprise.