In a recent conversation with Big Dre, he revealed that there was no specific standout team for him heading into the ACL tournament and that Darroks was undoubtedly the best player among the players competing in the tournament.
a Relentless grinding period
The final days of preparation for the African Champion League, one of the continent’s most exciting Call of Duty Mobile esports events, are upon us. Players are hard at work fine-tuning their aim and movements as well as polishing their gaming gears and setups. Managers are also at work evaluating past player performances, analyzing opponents’ play patterns, and devising the best strategies for their teams.
It won’t be long now before players and teams are immersed in the frenzy of the ACL CODM action, and Kal’s (one of Africa’s finest commentators) passionate and dramatic voice begins to make fans feel the impact of every kill, death, and moment of sheer brilliance.
big dre’s analysis
As the build-up progressed, I managed to get into a discussion with Dre, who is a well-respected figure in the community, a renowned manager and organizer who has consistently led teams to top 3 finishes in major tournaments such as the Infinix Masters, KEC, and GamrX as well as some other minor tournaments.
This was when I asked him questions about whom he thought was the best player and team heading into the tournament, and he told me that;
“At this point, I’m unable to pick out a specific standout team but there are a couple of teams that make my list of standout teams heading into the championship”
I was quite intrigued by his answer because there were notable, strong names among the invited teams including Ace Gamers Esports, Special suicide squad, and NXGEN who had all recently clinched victories at different competitions.
He did go on to say, however, that there were a couple of standout teams in his list whom he had watched play and all possessed traits such as
- Excellent tactical acumen in that they were masters of map control and, often out rotated opposing teams in Domination and Hardpoint matches
- They excelled in smaller maps such as Standoff, where close-quarters combat is common and so inherently also dominated in objective-based modes such as Search and Destroy.
- Add to all these, the fact that their players maintained maximum composure and top-notch communication.
THE overpowered one?
The tournament is also set to be lit up by Darroks (Professional player for Cast esports) who according to Dre combines exceptional skill with a deep understanding of the game’s meta, and who when compared to others possesses unparalleled aim precision, (especially in 1v1 situations) strong leadership and ability to read opponents’ strategies to elevate his entire team’s performance.
To Dre, Darroks represents the biggest threat to teams and is undoubtedly the best player heading into the events.
Solace however can be found in the fact that history has often shown that having the biggest firepower or talent does not necessarily guarantee esports success. A lot of work has to be put in during training sessions, combat tactics, and player mentality have to be absolutely spot on, and more importantly mistakes have to be kept to the barest minimum. But even then, it is not strange for teams to get all these things right and still end up caving under pressure, and in a fierce, invite-only competition such as the ACL, every mistake is punishable.
the best structured competition?
“How would you rank the ACL compared to other tournaments in the African scene?” I asked him.
He answered at length…
“The African Champions League (ACL) stands out as one of the most structured and competitive tournaments in the region since WCS, AMCL, and KEC League. Unlike other events, the ACL offers a consistent league format, and significant exposure for new-gen players and teams that missed the other tournaments I mentioned earlier. Its standardized approach and ambition to rival global esports leagues set it apart as the pinnacle of African CODM competitions in recent years.”
I needn’t add anything to what the man has said.
In a few days, it will be fingers weaving complex patterns on screens, mics blaring call-outs, and fists either being bumped in congratulations or balled in frustrations.
In the meantime, I will seek to discuss with more of these players and get an in-depth first-person perspective on what life on the competitive esports edge looks like.
Join the Nexal gaming Newsletter to get updates on the latest esports action on the continent. You can also Catch the ACL action live on your favorite stream channels, simply download the Esports Ng app on the Play Store, locate the ACL on the event page, and click the stream links.
May the action be with you.
DIsclaimer! This article is a Point of viewer of the writer and the interviewee, and does not represent the full opinion of the Nexal Gaming Company.
Find out more about the ACL here https://nexalgaming.co/post/african-champions-league-the-battle-among-legends/
Last Updated on January 20, 2025
