National pride and cool hard cash will be at stake when the continental showpiece kicks off in Cameroon on Sunday
The Confederation of African Football has announced that nearly $17 million will be shared as prize money at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations tournament.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria will slug it out in Cameroon with 23 other African teams for the prestigious Nations Cup and the grand prize of over 2 billion naira ($5 million). Algeria, the winner of the last edition, received $4.5 million for their triumph in 2019.
The runners-up of Cameroon 2021 will pocket well over a billion naira ($2.75 million), while the remainder of the bounty will be shared among the best eight teams at the Afcon.
According to CAF, losers of the quarter-finals will be compensated with $1.175 million each, summing up to $4.7 million. Also, losers of the semifinals will each get $2.2 million.
When the Super Eagles last lifted the Afcon Cup in 2013, the team pocketed $1.5 million as prize money, while the runners-up Burkina Faso bagged $1 million.
Despite missing key players in Napoli's Victor Osimhen and Genk's Paul Onuachu, the Super Eagles remain hopeful of going all the way and winning the Afcon.
Defending champions Algeria, seven-time winners Egypt, hosts Cameroon, and West African powerhouse Senegal are, however, the bookmaker's favourites to lift the trophy come February 6.
