The 30th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations is set to kick off on Saturday as Africa's elite descend on host nation Equatorial Guinea.
The tournament is still going ahead in the midst of the Ebola virus epidemic that devastated parts of the continent, leading to original host nation Morocco to pull out of the competition.
Despite the turmoil in the build up to the event, the stage is set for another festival of football with some of the finest players in the world set to appear.
Among those is Ivory Coast's star striker Wilfried Bony, the Swansea hitman looks set for a £28million move to Manchester City after a monumental 2014, finishing as the Premier League's top scorer with 18 goals.
Bony was among Ivory Coast's top performers at the World Cup in Brazil last summer, getting on the scoresheet twice in three games, the goals were in vain though as Les Elephants crashed out in the group stage after a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Greece in the final group game.
The former Vitesse man already has two AFCON goals to his name and is the overwhelming favourite to finish the competition as top scorer.
One player also vying for that mantel is Borussia Dortmund's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The lightning-quick forward is the star of the Gabonese squad and his country's hopes of progressing in the tournament rest almost solely on his shoulders.
The former Monaco man has 11 goals to his name already this season and showed what he is capable of at his blistering best when Arsenal visited Dortmund in the Champions League back in September.
Aubameyang got on the scoresheet and caused the Gunners' defence problems all game, and Gabon will fancy their chances against any team should he perform at that level over the weeks ahead.
One time Sunderland hitman Asamoah Gyan is another striker capable of lighting up the tournament, the Ghanaian has five AFCON goals to his name already, and with his habit of scoring goals at major tournaments for his country, the Al Ain poacher is another candidate for the top scorer mantel.
The 29-year-old was made captain of the Black Stars prior to the last AFCON tournament in 2013, and recently appointed coach Avram Grant will be looking to his skipper to add to his unrivalled record of 45 goals in 84 games for his country.
After their heroics at the World Cup last summer, Algeria will be confident they can go all the way in Guinea.
One man who was instrumental in their World Cup campaign which saw them reach the last 16 stage was Valencia midfielder Sofiane Feghouli.
The former Grenoble man scored Algeria's first World Cup goal for 28 years in their opening group game against Belgium, and the versatile winger is the key man in Algeria's attacking set up.
The 25-year-old has already chipped in with 3 goals and 3 assists for his club side in La Liga this season and will look to take his club form into Monday's game against South Africa in Mongomo.
Nabil Bentaleb is another key man in Algeria's midfield, the Spurs youngster impressed in his appearances at the World Cup and has played a key role in Mauricio Pochettino's new look team at club level.
The combative midfielder is an integral cog in the midfield engine for both club and country, and was a huge factor in Algeria's highly successful qualifying campaign in which they won five of their six group games.
The 19-year-old is certainly one to look out for over the course of the three week tournament.