Soccer strikers are set to bask atop the 26th African Cup of Nations opening 20 January in Ghana, France’s 1986 top scorer with Jule Bocandé of Senegal said.
"The African cup will be that of forwards, because the continent’s best and outstanding in Europe will feature in Ghana," he stressed.
"This gives hope to see interesting showings on attacking efficiency," he predicted.
The former skipper and striker of the "Teranga Lions" said with confirmed strikers like Cote d’Ivoire Didier Drogba, Arouna Dindane and Bakari Koné, Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o, Senegal’s Mamadou Niang, Mali’s Frédérick Kanouté, and other talented forwards, the "CAN should actually confirm the level they are show in the European leagues weekend fixtures."
Yet Bocandé, a member of the Senegalese national squad technical staff, said the forwards will bump on staunch, increasingly well organised defences.
"Africa has always had great forwards, some of them standing out during the various CAN tourneys. But we should remember that the CAN is seeing increasingly solid packed-in defences that are hard to break," he said.
"All the African teams to feature in Ghana have defenders playing in great European and other leagues," he warned.
The former soccer star and player with Metz, France, noted that "forwards will make every effort to stand out. I wish I could see the Senegalese forwards perform with flying colours."
Bocandé said he could not wait to see Africa’s football stalwarts such as Cameroon, Ghana, Egypt, Tunisia, Nigeria and Senegal come on and "confirm anew the progress of African football."