RABAT: The Africa Cup of Nations begins in Morocco this weekend, with the hosts desperate to get their hands on the trophy but sweating on the fitness of star man Achraf Hakimi for a tournament crammed awkwardly into football’s packed calendar. The Morocco captain’s race to overcome injury and the club future of Egyptian icon Mohamed Salah will dominate headlines around this edition of the AFCON, which runs until January 18.

From stars Salah and Hakimi to breakout talent Baleba, Al Jazeera picks 10 'must watch' footballers heading into AFCON.

Two of African football's biggest names, Achraf Hakimi and Mohamed Salah, are hoping to lead their nations to glory as the Africa Cup of Nations gets ready to kick off in Morocco.