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The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023 is almost here, and here’s a detailed look at everything you need to know about the continental football championship taking place in Ivory Coast.

The 34th edition of AFCON is officially underway, and football fans across the globe are gearing up for one of Africa’s biggest sporting events. The tournament, although titled AFCON 2023, is being played in early 2024 after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) postponed it in July 2022 due to concerns over adverse summer weather conditions in the host nation.

Defending champions Senegal are aiming to retain their title, while their 2021 final rivals Egypt have already been eliminated in the round of 16.

Ivory Coast was confirmed as the host nation in January 2019. Initially, Cameroon was stripped of its 2019 hosting rights due to delays in infrastructure and preparation, but was later reassigned to host the 2021 event. This change pushed Ivory Coast’s hosting duties to 2023.

The tournament began on January 13 with the opening match between Ivory Coast and Guinea-Bissau, while the group stage wrapped up on January 24.

From there, 16 teams advanced to the knockout rounds, with the round of 16 played from January 27 to January 30. After a short break, the quarter-finals are scheduled for February 2 and 3.

The semi-finals will be held on February 7, followed by the grand final on February 11.

January 13

Ivory Coast 2-0 Guinea-Bissau

January 14

Nigeria 1-1 Equatorial Guinea
Egypt 2-2 Mozambique
Ghana 1-2 Cape Verde

January 15

Senegal 3-0 Gambia
Cameroon 1-1 Guinea
Algeria 1-1 Angola

January 16

Burkina Faso 1-0 Mauritania
Tunisia 0-1 Namibia
Mali 2-0 South Africa

January 17

Morocco 3-0 Tanzania
DR Congo 1-1 Zambia

January 18

Equatorial Guinea 4-2 Guinea-Bissau
Ivory Coast 0-1 Nigeria
Egypt 2-2 Ghana

January 19

Cape Verde 3-0 Mozambique
Senegal 3-1 Cameroon
Guinea 1-0 Gambia

January 20

Algeria 2-2 Burkina Faso
Mauritania 2-3 Angola
Tunisia 1-1 Mali

January 21

Morocco 1-1 DR Congo
Zambia 1-1 Tanzania
South Africa 4-0 Namibia

January 22

Equatorial Guinea 4-0 Ivory Coast
Guinea-Bissau 0-1 Nigeria
Mozambique 2-2 Ghana
Cape Verde 2-2 Egypt

January 23

Guinea 2-3 Senegal
Gambia 0-2 Cameroon
Angola 2-0 Burkina Faso
Mauritania 1-0 Algeria

January 24

South Africa 0-0 Tunisia
Namibia 0-0 Mali
Tanzania 0-0 DR Congo
Zambia 0-1 Morocco

Round of 16 - January 27

Angola 2-0 Namibia
Nigeria 2-0 Cameroon

January 28

Equatorial Guinea 0-1 Guinea
Egypt 1-1 DR Congo (DR Congo won 8-7 on penalties)

January 29

Cape Verde vs Mauritania, 5pm GMT
Senegal vs Ivory Coast, 8pm GMT

January 30

Mali vs Burkina Faso, 5pm GMT
Morocco vs South Africa, 8pm GMT

Fans around the world can follow the tournament live. In the UK, matches are available on the free-to-air CAF YouTube channel. Viewers in the United States can watch on beIN Sports, with streaming options available on Sling Blue and Fubo TV.

Participating Nations (24 Teams)

Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Egypt, Ghana, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Senegal, Cameroon, Guinea, Gambia, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Angola, Mauritania, Tunisia, Mali, South Africa, Namibia, Morocco, DR Congo, Zambia, Tanzania.

Senegal are widely considered favourites to lift the trophy again, while Morocco, inspired by their World Cup heroics, are expected to be strong contenders. Algeria, Egypt, Nigeria, and Cameroon also bring talented squads with high hopes for success.

Group A
Ivory Coast
Nigeria
Guinea-Bissau
Equatorial Guinea

Group B
Egypt
Ghana
Cape Verde
Mozambique

Group C
Senegal
Cameroon
Guinea
Gambia

Group D
Algeria
Burkina Faso
Angola
Mauritania

Group E
Tunisia
Mali
South Africa
Namibia

Group F
Morocco
DR Congo
Zambia
Tanzania

Group stage matches are scheduled at 2pm, 5pm, and 8pm GMT, while knockout games will take place at 5pm and 8pm GMT. The final match will be played at 8pm GMT.

Stadiums Hosting AFCON 2023

Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan – capacity 60,000
Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium, Abidjan – capacity 33,000
Stade de la Paix, Bouake – capacity 40,000
Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium, Korhogo – capacity 20,000
Laurent Pokou Stadium, San-Pedro – capacity 20,000
Charles Konan Banny Stadium, Yamoussoukro – capacity 20,000

The official match ball, named Pokou, is produced by Puma and pays tribute to Ivorian football legend Laurent Pokou.

Akwaba, the tournament’s official mascot, is an elephant symbolising Ivory Coast’s national emblem. The mascot’s attire mirrors the design of the Ivory Coast football team’s home kit.

The official AFCON 2023 anthem, titled ‘Akwaba’, blends afrobeat, rap, and zouglou styles, featuring Nigerian artist Yemi Alade, Egyptian rapper Mohamed Ramadan, and Ivorian group Magic System. The song, which translates to ‘Welcome’ in the Baoule language, was officially launched by CAF in October 2023.