The past performances, coaches, players to watch and those based in Britain - for every nation competing in the African Cup of Nations.

GROUP A

Ghana

Best result: Winners (1963, 1965, 1978, 1982)

2006: First round

Coach: Claude Leroy

Player to watch: Michael Essien (Chelsea, midfielder)

Premier League players: Essien, Sulley Muntari (Portsmouth), Richard Kingson (Birmingham City), John Pantsil (West Ham)

Other British-based players: Junior Agogo (Nottingham Forest, striker), Laryea Kingston (Hearts, midfielder)

Guinea

Best result: Runners-up (1976)

2006: Quarter-finals

Coach: Robert Nouzaret

Player to watch: Pascal Feindouno (Saint-Étienne, midfielder)

Premier League players: None

Other British-based players: Bobo Balde (Celtic, defender)

Morocco

Best result: Winners (1976)

2006: First round

Coach: Henri Michel

Player to watch: Marouane Chamakh (Bordeaux, striker)

Premier League players: None

Other British-based players: Youssef Safri (Southampton, midfielder)

Namibia

Best result: First round (1998)

2006: Did not qualify

Coach: Arie Schans

Player to watch: Collin Benjamin (Hamburg, midfielder)

Premier League players: None

Other British-based players: None

- - - -

GROUP B

Ivory Coast

Best result: Winners (1992)

2006: Runners-up

Coach: Gerard Gili

Player to watch: Didier Drogba (Chelsea, striker)

Premier League players: Drogba, Salomon Kalou (Chelsea), Kolo Toure (Arsenal), Emmanuel Eboué (Arsenal), Didier Zokora (Tottenham), Abdoulaye Méïté (Bolton), Emerse Faé (Reading)

Other British-based players: None

Nigeria

Best result: Winners (1980, 1994)

2006: Semi-finals

Coach: Berti Vogts

Player to watch: Nwankwo Kanu (Portsmouth, striker)

Premier League players: Kanu, John Utaka (Portsmouth), Yakubu (Everton), Joseph Yobo (Everton), John Obi Mikel (Chelsea), Dickson Etuhu (Sunderland), Obafemi Martins (Newcastle)

Other British-based players: Seyi Olofinjana (Wolves, midfielder)

Benin

Best result: First round (2004)

2006: Did not qualify

Coach: Reinhard Fabisch

Player to watch: Razak Omotoyossi (Helsingborg, striker)

Premier League players: None

Other British-based players: Romauld Boco (Accrington Stanley)

Mali

Best result: Runners-up (1972, 1992, 2002, 2004)

2006: Did not qualify

Coach: Jean-Francois Jodar

Player to watch: Frederic Kanoute (Sevilla, striker)

Premier League players: None

Other British-based players: Mamady Sidibe (Stoke City, striker)

- - - -

GROUP C

Cameroon

Best result: Winners (1984, 1988, 2000, 2002)

2006: Quarter-finals

Coach: Otto Pfister

Player to watch: Samuel Eto'o (Barcelona, striker)

Premier League players: Andre Bikey (Reading), Alexandre Song (Arsenal), Geremi (Newcastle)

Other British-based players: None

Egypt

Best result: Winners (1957, 1959, 1986, 1998, 2006)

2006: Winners

Coach: Hassan Shehata

Player to watch: Mohamed Aboutreika (Al-Ahly, midfielder)

Premier League players: Mohamed Shawky (Middlesbrough)

Other British-based players: None

Sudan

Best result: Winners (1970)

2006: Did not qualify

Coach: Mohamed Abdallah

Player to watch: Faisal Agab (Al-Merrikh, midfielder)

Premier League players: None

Other British-based players: None

Zambia

Best result: Runners-up (1974, 1994)

2006: First round

Coach: Patrick Phiri

Player to watch: Chris Katongo (Brondby, striker)

Premier League players: None

Other British-based players: None

- - - -

GROUP D

Tunisia

Best result: Winners (2004)

2006: Quarter-finals

Coach: Roger Lemerre

Player to watch: Yasine Chikhaoui (Zurich, striker)

Premier League players: Radhi Jaidi (Birmingham City, defender), Mehdi Nafti (Birmingham, midfielder)

Other British-based players: None

Senegal

Best result: Runners-up (2002)

2006: semi-finals

Coach: Henryk Kasperczak

Player to watch: Mamadou Niang (Marseille, striker)

Premier League players: El Hadji Diouf (Bolton), Papa Bouba Diop (Portmsouth), Diomansy Kamara (Fulham)

Other British-based players: None

South Africa

Best result: Winners (1996)

2006: First round

Coach: Carlos Alberto Parreira

Player to watch: Teko Modise (Orlando Pirates, midfielder)

Premier League players: Aaron Mokoena (Blackburn Rovers, defender), Steven Pienaar (Everton, midfielder)

Other British-based players: None

Angola

Best result: First round (three times)

2006: First round

Coach: Luis Oliveira Goncalves

Player to watch: Flavio (Ah Ahli, striker)

Premier League players: Manucho (Manchester United)

Other British-based players: Rui Marques (Leeds United)

Eurosport