AFCON, Group A: Gabon can exploit home soil

The 2017 Africa Cup of Nations is set to kick off in Gabon, where 16 national teams will compete for African football's most prestigious honour. theScore is your source for news, previews, and everything else related to the tournament.

The host, the lone debutant, a continental giant, and a recent finalist comprise a sub-Saharan Group A at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.

For the second time in five years, Gabon will host the Africa Cup of Nations and look to give its population something to celebrate amid political unrest. Meanwhile, Guinea-Bissau, a tropical country on Africa's Atlantic coast, will be making its first-ever appearance at the tournament. Cameroon, a shadow of its national team from the 1990s, will take the pitch without some of its top players, and Burkina Faso will try to replicate its success from four years ago.

Group A isn't the Africa Cup of Nations' most impressive quartet, but it's a fascinating composition of teams nonetheless.

Gabon

Profile: Gabon's squad might not be a golden generation, but Les Pantheres appear to have the necessary ingredients to make a historic run at the Africa Cup of Nations and improve on their best-ever finish of reaching the quarter-finals. The attack features Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Mario Lemina, and Didier Ndong, all of whom are employed by clubs in European football's top five leagues. In defense, Lloyd Palun is a force to be reckoned with at right-back.

Furthermore, not only is Gabon hosting a tournament where hosts tend to do very well, but Les Pantheres will have the luxury of playing all of their fixtures in Libreville, Gabon - the country's capital - should they top Group A.

Key Player: Aubameyang missed a decisive penalty kick when Gabon, on home soil, was eliminated in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations' quarter-finals. But that's all in the past, and it would be near impossible to find someone on the streets of Libreville who thinks Gabon can win the tournament without the prolific forward.

Boasting 16 goals in the 2016-17 Bundesliga, Aubameyang must replicate his club form if Gabon is to reach the semi-finals.

Trivia: Ten percent of Gabon is protected national parkland after a decision was made in 2003 to safeguard the country's rainforest.

Guinea-Bissau

Profile: Making its first-ever appearance at the Africa Cup of Nations, Guinea-Bissau, a country with a population of only 1.7 million and with a history of wars, coups, and cocaine, will be looking to make a good first impression on African football's biggest stage.

Guinea-Bissau is often in the news for all the wrong reasons, even when it comes to football. For example, the national team's players were on strike until they received outstanding wages only five days before the Africa Cup of Nations begins. But, with a squad that includes loads of footballers who play in Portugal - the country that colonised Guinea-Bissau - there's a wonderful opportunity for the tropical nation to produce positive headlines.

Key Player: If Guinea-Bissau is to have any chance of progressing from the group stage, the national team will need Zezinho's performances on the pitch to be as colourful as his name. The 24-year-old midfielder is employed by Leviadakos of the Superleague Greece and is therefore one of the squad's only players who competes in a European first division.

Trivia: Guinea-Bissau is one of the world's poorest countries, ranking 178th out of 188 in the United Nations' Human Development Index.

Cameroon

Profile: Over 26 years have passed since Cameroon stunned Argentina at the 1990 World Cup, and over than two more have passed since Samuel Eto'o - the Indomitable Lions' top scorer of all time - retired from international football. It's a period of transition for Cameroonian football, and it's anyone's guess how the national team performs at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Cameroon is a team struggling to rediscover its identity due to players who are unwilling to pull on the Indomitable Lions' shirt and injuries. Joel Matip and Allan Nyom, both of whom play in the Premier League, were omitted from the squad after making it clear they didn't want to partake at the Africa Cup of Nations. Worst of all, Eric-Maxim Choupo Moting withdrew from the team because of personal reasons.

But in the wacky world of African football, Cameroon is always a threat, and the Indomitable Lions still possess the firepower to shine in Gabon.

Key Player: Among those who are keen to represent Cameroon is Vincent Aboubakar, the 24-year-old forward in whom supporters of the Indomitable Lions are investing their hopes. A product of Cotonsport Garoua, he is making a name for himself in Europe, and boasts speed and predatory skills that are hard to match in Africa.

Trivia: Cameroon gained independence in 1961 and became a single country split into 10 semi-autonomous administrative regions.

Burkina Faso

Profile: At the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, Burkina Faso, a footballing minnow at the time, manufactured a series of phenomenal displays to reach the final. It was the high point in the Stallions' history, even if they ultimately failed to win the tournament.

Four years on and it's tough to say whether Burkina Faso is better or worse. The Stallions collapsed at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, exiting without a single victory. They appear to have improved since the disaster but haven't faced much in the way of quality competition. Their qualifying group featured Uganda, Botswana, and Comoros.

Key Player: Jonathan Pitroipa was the poster boy for Burkina Faso's success at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, juggling the ball with all the confidence in the world and dancing past defenders to get the Stallions into the final. He'll be 30 years old in Gabon, but he remains the national team's most important player.

Trivia: Faso Dan Fani is a colourful cotton fabric worn by locals to promote Burkina Faso's culture.