AFCON 2024 Guide: Fixtures, The Venues, & Where To Watch AFCON

There’s nothing in the air but excitement as the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) slated for next year in Cote d’Ivoire beckons.

The 2023 Africa’s showpiece will be the 34th edition involving 24 worthy teams who made it through the qualifications stages, set to battle it out in a quest to be crowned the ultimate continental champions.

The AFCON was originally scheduled for 2023, but it was later postponed by the President of the Confederation ‘Patrice Motsepe’ due to the weather conditions in Cote D’Ivoire.

As football enthusiasts on the continent anticipate the 2023 AFCON set to commence next year, here are some of the things you need to know about the AFCON.

AFCON 2024 Groups

Group A: Cote D’Ivoire, Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau

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, Zambia, DR Congo, Tanzania

The AFCON Venues

A total of six stadiums in five different cities will be used for the African Cup of Nations.

• 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)

AFCON 2024 Match Schedule

Following the completion of the 2023 AFCON draw, CAF released the official match schedule for the ‘TotalEnergies’ Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire.

The opening game of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations will be between hosts Cote D’Ivoire and Guinea-Bissau on Saturday, January 13, 2024, at the Alassane Ouattara Olympic Stadium in Abidjan.

The Super Eagles of Nigeria will lock horns with their opponent Equatorial Guinea in their first game on Monday 15, 2024, Cote D’Ivoire on the 18, and Guinea-Bissau on January 22.

AFCON 2024 match schedule: Full fixtures & kick-off time

Here is the full match schedule for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, including kick-off time from the group stages to the final day.

Group A

Group B

Group C

Group D

Group E

Group F

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AFCON 2024 Mascot

The organizing committee for the 2023 African Cup of Nations introduced the mascot for AFCON 2023, named “Akwaba,” a term that translates to “Welcome” in the Akan language.

Akwaba is represented by an elephant, a significant symbol in Ivory Coast. The mascot’s attire mirrors the home colors of the Ivory Coast, creating a visual connection to the nation’s identity.

AFCON All Time-record

Most successful team

Egypt is the most successful nation in the cup’s history, winning the tournament a record seven times.

Trophies

Three trophies have been awarded during the tournament’s history, with Ghana, and Cameroon winning the first two versions to keep after each of them won a tournament three times.

The current trophy was first awarded in 2002. Egypt won an unprecedented three consecutive titles in 2006, 2008, and 2010.

Format

In 2013, the tournament format was switched to being held in odd-numbered years so as not to interfere with the FIFA World Cup.

Goalscoring records

¶. The AFCON’s all-time highest top scorer is Samuel Eto’o of Cameroon, with 18 goals.

¶. Raafat Attia scored the first-ever goal at the Africa Cup of Nations; in the first match of the inaugural tournament on 10 February 1957, he got the opening goal for Egypt against hosts Sudan in a 2-1 victory.

¶. Ad-Diba was the first ever player to score a hat-trick in an Africa Cup of Nations match; he scored four for Egypt in a 4-0 victory against Ethiopia on 16 February 1957 — the final match of the inaugural tournament.

¶. Ad-Diba was also the first ever top goalscorer for an Africa Cup of Nations tournament, scoring 5 goals for Egypt in 1957.

Youngest goalscorer in AFCON

¶. Shiva N’Zigou was 16 years and 93 days old when he scored for Gabon against South Africa in a 1-3 defeat on 23 January 2000.

Oldest goalscorer in AFCON

¶. Hossam Hassan was 39 years and 174 days old when he scored for Egypt against DR Congo in a 4-1 victory on 3 February 2006.

Most goals in a single match

¶. Laurent Pokou scored 5 goals for Ivory Coast in a 6-1 victory against Ethiopia in 1970.

Most goals in a single AFCON tournament

¶. Ndaye Mulamba scored 9 goals for Zaire in the 1974 tournament.

Most hat-tricks in AFCON

¶. Hassan El-Shazly scored 2 tournament hat-tricks for the United Arab Republic: one in 1963 and one in 1970..

All-time Managerial Records At The AFCON

Most consecutive titles won as coach

¶. Three(3), Hassan Shehata (as manager of Egypt in 2006, 2008 and 2010).

Coaches who retained the title

¶. Twice(2), Hassan Shehata (as manager of Egypt in 2008 and 2010).

¶. Once(1), Charles Gyamfi (as manager of Ghana in 1965).

Coaches who won titles with multiple teams

¶. France Hervé Renard (as manager of Zambia in 2012 and Ivory Coast in 2015).

Most tournament appearances as a coach

¶. Nine(9), France Claude Le Roy (as manager of Cameroon in 1986 and 1988, Senegal in 1990 and 1992, Ghana in 2008, DR Congo in 2006 and 2013, Congo in 2015, and Togo in 2017).

Most titles won as a coach

¶. Three(3), Charles Gyamfi (as manager of Ghana in 1963, 1965 and 1982).

¶. Three(3), Hassan Shehata (as manager of Egypt in 2006, 2008 and 2010).

Most nations coached in tournament

¶. Six(6), France Claude Le Roy (managed Cameroon in 1986 and 1988, Senegal in 1990 and 1992, Ghana in 2008, DR Congo in 2006 and 2013, Congo in 2015 and Togo in 2017).

Title won both as player and coach

¶. Mahmoud El-Gohary (in 1959 as a player and 1998 as a manager, both with Egypt).

¶. Stephen Keshi (in 1994 as a player and in 2013 as a manager, both with Nigeria).

Appearance in the final as both player and coach

¶. Aliou Cissé (lost the 2002 final as a player, lost the 2019 final and won the 2021 final as a manager, all with Senegal).

¶. Mahmoud El-Gohary (won the 1959 final as a player and won the 1998 final as a manager, both with Egypt).

¶. Stephen Keshi (lost both the 1984 final and 1988 final as a player; and won the 2013 final as a manager, all with Nigeria).

Where To Watch AFCON 2024

Over the years, the Africa Cup of Nations has proven to be an exciting competition like no other in bringing teams on the continent together for the sole purpose of crowning an ultimate champion.

The Africa competition it’s a tournament that is played on a backdrop of a carnival-like atmosphere, as such next year’s own won’t be an exception in Cote D’Ivoire.

The continent had seen seven different winners with players such as Yaya Toure, Samuel Eto’o, Sadio Mane, and Joseph Yobo lifting the silverware.

So as we all buckle up expecting the showpiece patiently, here are all the details on how to watch AFCON 2023.

As confirmed by the Confederation President, Patrice Motsepe, television channels and live stream will show the games in order for fans from around the world to have access to all the games.

CAF’s official YouTube channel will also air the games for free, link here

However, the only channel that has the broadcasting rights to the 2023 AFCON in the USA is beIN Sports.

The channel has the right to broadcast in both English and Spanish language and will be the only place where you’ll find every fixture available to watch live.

Meanwhile, beIN Sports also has the right to broadcast the games across Africa just like they’ve been doing with other major tournaments such as CAF club competitions.

Other pay-per-view channels are also available to watch live via a number of TV cable providers and stream live via a number of dedicated streaming services for AFCON.

So prep yourself up for the AFCON so you won’t miss a minute of the 34th edition of the Africa showpiece with a number of packages dedicated to streaming which you could tune in to.

Which channels have the rights to 2024 AFCON soccer?

The exclusive broadcaster for the 2023 AFCON in the USA is beIN Sports. It holds the rights to air the tournament in both English and Spanish, making it the sole destination to catch every live match.

beIN Sports serves as the primary hub for African soccer enthusiasts in the United States, and it extends its coverage to other competitions like the CAF Champions League, the CAF Confederation Cup, the Super Cup, and the Women’s Champions League.

When Does AFCON 2023 Start & End?

AFCON 2023 is scheduled to commence on January 13, 2024, and ends on February 24, 2024.

Though the tournament was meant to go down in 2023, due to the weather conditions during the summer in Cote d’Ivoire it was shifted to 2024.

However, the tournament will retain its name of AFCON 2023 instead of 2024 due to sponsorship reasons even though it’s going to be played next year

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FAQs

How can I livestream AFCON 2023?

You can watch the streaming services on – FuboTV, DirecTV Stream, and Vidgo, using streaming devices such as Android TV and Apple TV, on mobiles and tablets, and on any internet-enabled gaming consoles.

Is there a way to watch Bein Sports channels for free?

No!

beIN Sports HD is available for free, but all other content within their network requires a subscription.

Many of the streaming services mentioned in this guide that offer beIN Sports channels provide free trial options, allowing you to test them out before committing to a subscription.

Where can I watch beIN Sports en Español?

If you want to watch beIN Sports en Español, you need to be careful with which cable provider or streaming service you get.

The channel is currently available through the likes of Charter, Verizon Fios, COX, and Latin American Pay TV service Claro.

What worldwide broadcasters have rights to AFCON 2023?

In Africa, the Africa Cup of Nations will be available on CAF TV for free and Supersport for those who use a paid subscription (DSTV)

For viewers in Europe, beIN Sports is the channel to watch. In both the UK and Australia, fans can expect comprehensive coverage as Kayo Sports is set to broadcast all the matches.

Who will host AFCON 2023?

Ivory Coast is set to host AFCON 2023. Originally, Ivory Coast was meant to host the 2021 edition, but the delay was caused by a chain reaction from the 2019 tournament.

In 2019, Cameroon was initially designated as the host, but they lost the opportunity due to delays in stadium construction and essential infrastructure preparations. Consequently, CAF reassigned the hosting rights to Cameroon for 2021, resulting in Ivory Coast’s hosting turn being postponed to 2023.

Why is AFCON 2023 being played in 2024?

Originally planned for the summer of 2023, AFCON 2023 has been rescheduled to January-February 2024 to avoid the rainy season in West and Central Africa.

How does a team qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations?

Leading up to the tournament, every African nation participates in qualification rounds, where the victors of each qualifying group and contenders who succeed in various play-off rounds secure their spots in the main event.

For AFCON 2023, a total of 24 teams have successfully qualified.

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What is the AFCON format?

AFCON’s format involves an initial group stage followed by a knockout phase, spanning from the Last 16 to the final.

There are six groups, each consisting of four teams.

The top two teams from each group advance directly to the knockout stage, while an extra four spots are allocated to the top-performing third-placed teams.

The criteria for ranking the best-performing third-placed teams are as follows, in descending order of priority: 1) Points, 2) Goal Difference, 3) Goals Scored, 4) Disciplinary Points, and 5) Drawing of lots.

Which teams have qualified for AFCON 2023?

The full list of teams that have qualified for the 2023 AFCON are: Ivory Coast (qualified as host nation), Morocco, Algeria, South Africa, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Tunisia, Egypt, Zambia, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, Mali and Guinea.

When did the Africa Cup of Nations start?

The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) started in 1957.

This prestigious international football tournament for African national teams held its first edition in Sudan. It has traditionally taken place every two years, although there have been exceptions, including postponed or rescheduled tournaments.

Which team has won the most Africa Cup of Nations tournaments?

Egypt – 7 AFCONs

Egypt holds the record for the most Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament wins, having won the trophy an impressive seven times.

Closely followed by Cameroon, which has won the tournament five times.

Other successful teams in the competition include Ghana, with four victories, and Nigeria, with three. The upcoming tournament’s hosts, Ivory Coast, have secured the AFCON title twice.