Africa Cup of Nations: What you need to know
The Africa Cup of Nations will kick off on Saturday, January 13 at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan where the hosts Cote d’Ivoire will face Guinea-Bissau.
The tournament was initially due to take place last year (2023) but was postponed by CAF, the continent’s football governing body, due to the rainy season in Cote d’Ivoire.
The West African nation is hosting the tournament for the second time, and the first since 1984 when Cameroon won it by beating Nigeria 3-1 in the final.
Senegal, who are grouped alongside five-time champions Cameroon, Gambia and Guinea, are the defending champions having defeated Egypt via a shootout in the 2021 final.
The competition is held in a 24-team, 52-game format split into six groups of four nations each before a knockout round of 16 followed by quarter-finals, semi-finals, a match for third place, and the final.
Which countries are taking part at AFCON 2023?
Twenty-four nations will take part, including the holders Senegal who enter the tournament as favorites while Morocco, Nigeria, Algeria and Cote d’Ivoire are also strong contenders.
Group A: Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau.
Group B: Egypt, Ghana, Cape Verde, Mozambique.
Group C: Senegal, Cameroon, Guinea, The Gambia.
Group D: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Angola.
Group E: Tunisia, Mali, South Africa, Namibia.
Group F: Morocco, DR Congo, Zambia, Tanzania.
Which are the venues?
Five host cities have been chosen with six stadiums earmarked for use.
Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan (capacity 60,000)
Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium, Abidjan (33,000)
Charles Konan Banny Stadium, Yamoussoukro (20,000)
Stade de la Paix, Bouake (40,000)
Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium, Korhogo (20,000)
Laurent Pokou Stadium, San Pedro (20,000)
What are the key dates?
The tournament will kick off on January 13 with the group stage action ending on January 24 with a clash between Tanzania and DR Congo. Then there will be a three-day rest before the last-16 fixtures commence.
The tournament will last for one month (30 days) and will end where it began at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in the capital which will host the final on February 11.
How much will teams earn by taking part at AFCON 2023?
A total of 7 million U.S. dollars in prize money is on offer for the winners of the tournament, a sum representing a 40 percent increase from the previous edition. The losing finalist will earn US$4 mln and the losing semi-finalists will receive US$2.5 mln each. The four quarter-finalists who get eliminated will take home US$1.3 mln.
Who are the past winners?
| Year | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 1957 | Egypt | Ethiopia |
| 1959 | Egypt | Sudan |
| 1962 | Ethiopia | Egypt |
| 1963 | Ghana | Sudan |
| 1965 | Ghana | Tunisia |
| 1968 | DR Congo | Ghana |
| 1970 | Sudan | Ghana |
| 1972 | Congo | Mali |
| 1974 | DR Congo | Zambia |
| 1976 | Morocco | Guinea |
| 1978 | Ghana | Uganda |
| 1980 | Nigeria | Algeria |
| 1982 | Ghana | Libya |
| 1984 | Cameroon | Nigeria |
| 1986 | Egypt | Cameroon |
| 1988 | Cameroon | Nigeria |
| 1990 | Algeria | Nigeria |
| 1992 | Ivory Coast | Ghana |
| 1994 | Nigeria | Zambia |
| 1996 | South Africa | Tunisia |
| 1998 | Egypt | South Africa |
| 2000 | Cameroon | Nigeria |
| 2002 | Cameroon | Senegal |
| 2004 | Tunisia | Morocco |
| 2006 | Egypt | Ivory Coast |
| 2008 | Egypt | Cameroon |
| 2010 | Egypt | Ghana |
| 2012 | Zambia | Ivory Coast |
| 2013 | Nigeria | Burkina Faso |
| 2015 | Ivory Coast | Ghana |
| 2017 | Cameroon | Egypt |
| 2019 | Algeria | Senegal |
| 2021 | Senegal | Egypt |
