World class players such as Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Riyad Mahrez have shared the stage with the likes of Jean Romario Baggio Rakotoarisoa, who plays in Madagascar's ramshackle league, and Selemani Ndikumana, who lived through the long civil war which ravaged Burundi until 2005.
Newcomers Madagascar provided romance as they beat Nigeria on the way to topping their group -- a remarkable achievement for a motley collection of players from the lower leagues in France and clubs in Belgium, Bulgaria and the United States, and led by former French fourth-tier coach Nicolas Dupuis.
Algeria looked particularly strong although it was not pretty as they committed an average of 28 fouls a match, according to official statistics.Nigeria were plunged into a knockout tie against neighbours and bitter rivals Cameroon who also finished second in their group after two successive goalless draws.
The least memorable day was last Saturday when all three games ended goalless. In contrast, Kenya beat Tanzania 3-2 in an incredibly open game which both coaches described as"crazy" and said they were rendered"helpless" by the players' wild abandon.Incredibly, the venue, timing and size of the tournament have all changed since the draw for the qualifying competition was made in January 2017.