AFCON 2017 - players to watch
There are some key players who are making an impact in the ongoing African Cup of Nations. In addition to Pierre-Emerick Aubamenyang, many eyes will be on reigning BBC African Footballer of the Year and CAF African Footballer Of The Year Riyad Mahrez and Africa's most expensive player, Sadio Mane.
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Leicester winger Mahrez will be a key figure in an Algeria team which until recently had been ranked the best team in Africa.
Mane, who cost Liverpool £34m, leads the line for Senegal. The Teranga Lions have never won the event but Mane could be the key to changing that statistic.
Twenty-three players from English Premier League clubs are already in Gabon, including Mahrez, Mane, Manchester United's Ivorian defender Eric Bailly, West Ham's Ghanaian Andre Ayew, Leicester's Algerian Islam Slimani and Crystal Palace's Ivorian Wilfried Zaha.
Winger Zaha has only just switched international allegiance from England and started his career with the Elephants in a sensational style by scoring on his second appearance for the team in a friendly against Uganda.
Egypt's Mohamed Salah has been outstanding since his switch from Chelsea to Italian giants Roma. Once labelled the African Messi, the winger has recently recovered from injury but if he can find his best form, he could light up the tournament.
History makers
Togo coach Claude LeRoy is making a record-extending ninth appearance at the finals and leading a sixth different nation. The Frenchman, considered the Godfather of the Nations Cup, has won the tournament once - with Cameroun in 1988 - and has only once failed to reach the quarter-finals stage.
Egypt goalkeeper Essam El Hadary can become the oldest player in the tournament's history - if he gets some game time in Gabon. The veteran shot stopper turns 44 on January 15. Compatriot Hossam Hassan holds the record - he was 39 when he played in 2006.
The Pharaohs have won the tournament a record seven times and they have a chance to further pull away from the pack for the first time since their last success in 2010. Failure to qualify for the last three editions has marred their recent past and they will relish the chance to re-establish themselves at the top table.
Herve Renard is aiming to become the first coach to win the title with three different teams. The Frenchman lifted the trophy with Zambia in 2012 and led Ivory Coast in 2015 when they defeated Ghana.
He is aiming to make it a hat-trick with Morocco. Only two coaches have won the Cup of Nations three times - Charles Gyamfi achieved the feat while in charge of Ghana in 1963, 1965 and 1982 and Hassan Shehata also won it three times with Egypt between 2006 and 2010.