The sense in recent years has been that, whenever African football takes a step forward, it quickly takes two back. The 2017 Africa Cup of Nations was a watchable, enjoyable tournament that was settled in thrilling style and showcased the best of what the continent has to offer. In 2018, that reputation took a hit as none of Africa’s five representatives made it out of the World Cup’s group stage. The prevailing cliche is that without any truly world-class side, standards in Africa don’t come close to those in Europe or South America but this time around, the script is flipped. With Egypt hosting, the field has been expanded to 24 teams and there are arguably more familiar faces in this edition than in any of the previous four. The decision to move the Africa Cup of Nations to the summer (June 21-July 19), with no competing club interests and no other major international tournament running alongside it from the quarterfinal stage onward, means there will be a captive global audience of casual football fans and more than enough big-name players capable of attracting them. It is a huge opportunity for Africa to put on a show. ESPN FC’s Nick…