SKIDDING round the corner into the new year, the 2015 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations underway at last.

With national sides from across Africa having plugged "Equatorial Guinea" into their satellite navigation systems, a number of teams have descended upon the oil-rich nation with a genuine belief that they can win the title, in what is probably the most open tournament for years.

More akin to a learner kangaroo-ing down the road than a gentle ride in a limousine, the journey to get to this point has hardly been smooth, with a last-minute change of destination having caused a panic on behalf of the organisers to ensure that there was actually something to see when everyone arrived. With Morocco bailing on hosting just 67 days before the competition had been due to kick-off due to concerns over the Ebola virus and the impact on its tourist trade, the Confederation of African Football began a hasty soliciting of nations that could to step in.

With 2013 hosts South Africa rejecting the opportunity, previous co-hosts Equatorial Guinea took on the mantle of hosting, this time without the support of Gabon as they had in the 2012 edition. Cue a hurried program of stadium construction and infrastructure maintenance, and the nation - frequently criticised for its abhorrent human rights record and unequal distribution of wealth - announced itself ready to host CAF's flagship tournament.

For now, the football is getting everyone very flustered with excitement. Equatorial Guinea drew 1-1 with Congo in the opening match, a result which was matched in the ties between Zambia and Congo DR, and Tunisia and Cape Verde Islands. Gabon defeated Burkina Faso 2-0.

Prominent nations Ghana, Senegal, South Africa and Algeria are all involved in Group C today. The Algerians sit comfortably at the top of the continental rankings after their superb showing at the World Cup in Brazil, and are generally regarded as the best team in Africa. A strong, all-round team, the positive brand of football they play and balance between youth and experience makes it clear why they are so fancied to lift the trophy in Bata on February 8.

Porto's destructive attacking midfielder Yaccine Brahimi has been one of the finest players in Europe this season and is supported by the likes of Napoli left-back Faouzi Ghoulam and former Rangers defender Madjid Bougherra, whose playing role may be slightly limited but nevertheless offers invaluable experience. With manager Christian Gourcuff having named their 23-man squad way before the deadline and before anyone else, you can tell the Fennec Foxes are confident.

They like to get the ball down and play so there are concerns over the facilities in Equatorial Guinea for Algeria. Based in Mongomo, the tiny stadium's pitch was only laid recently, fuelling fears of becoming cut up and disrupting their passing game as the tournament progresses.

Ghana's prospects for this tournament are difficult to predict. While traditionally doing well at AFCON tournaments, their jittery qualification campaign and the unfulfilling appointment of Avram Grant just days before the squad announcement means a lot of question marks surround the team. One of those will be the role of Celtic's Mubarak Wakaso, who, despite being top scorer at AFCON 2013 from midfield, played just 172 minutes under previous coach Kwesi Appiah during qualification.

But while Algeria are everyone's tips for this one, there is another North African side making some noises, aiming to prevent their well-fancied neighbours from lifting the cup. Tunisia have registered a draw in their opening match and have been subtly impressing over the last few months, negotiating a fairly tough group to finish on top ahead of a decent Senegal side. Well-organised and difficult to beat, manager George Leekens has built an intriguing side, made up of a number of domestically-based players from the strong Tunisian league. Their style is ideal for knockout football, so an all-North African final could well be on the cards.

Ivory Coast have been the nearly men of so many tournaments and the "golden generation" is slowly being whittled down, with Didier Drogba and Didier Zokora retiring after the World Cup. A heroic attack combined with a horrific defence has created a team with a penchant for high-scoring games ideal for the neutral viewer, but less encouraging for their chances of getting to the knockout stage, with Group D also containing Cameroon, Mali and Guinea.

Cameroon have drastically improved since their abhorrent World Cup showing, with manager Volker Finke revamping much of the squad, including the removal of continental talisman Samuel Eto'o. Very impressive in qualifying, beating Ivory Coast 4-1 in Yaounde, the Indomitable Lions could go far.

Despite the lack of clarity about how the tournament will pan out, in terms of competitiveness and excitement, it is one of the most exciting editions that there has been in years, and will be certainly worth keeping an eye on.