Mali 2002 has every potential of being the most hotly contested Nations Cup yet.
And that is in no small part due to Africa`s representatives at the World Cup wanting to get in some serious tournament practice before heading to Korea and Japan.
It means the spotlight at the three-week event will be firmly focused on Cameroon, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia.
Scouts from all over the world will be in Mali to take notes on the five African teams heading to Asia.
England face Nigeria in the "Group of Death" and France play Senegal in the opener on 31 May.
But there is the real possibility that the winner at Mali 2002 could come from the ranks of the 11 others who will not be heading to the Far East.
Morocco, for example, are keen to make amends for the bitter disappointment of not qualifying for the World Cup.
Coach Humberto Coelho has made it clear the Nations Cup represents their only chance of regaining lost
pride.
The Atlas Lions narrowly lost out on goal difference in the qualifiers for the 2002 World Cup finals.
Algeria, Cote d`Ivoire and Egypt also present a real threat in a field with few weak links.
While these teams have little to lose, Africa`s World Cup five are under pressure to perform.
Defending champions Cameroon and Tunisia go into the event with new coaches while Nigeria`s trainer Shaibu Amodu knows he has to deliver or risk losing his job.
For many, though, Senegal will be the key attraction.
Mali 2002 will show if their surprise World Cup qualification was a fluke or if they deserve to be considered as one of Africa`s top teams.
Mali have their own ambitions, not least to show that the government`s considerable investment in hosting the championship is justified.
But coach Henry Kasperczak only took charge in November and is unlikely to produce miraculous results in such a short space of time.
