AFCON 2023: All You Need To Know As Nations Cup Set To Kick Off In Ivory Coast
Posted by Chinwenwa Nwokenna | 6 months ago | 670 times
The stage is set for the much anticipated 34th edition of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) scheduled to commence on January 13 in the Ivory Coast.
Following the impressive performances of Africa's top football stars in the Qatar World Cup 2022, Morocco emerges as the red-hot favourite, having reached the semi-finals in the global showpiece. The tournament, hosted for the second time by Ivory Coast, will feature matches in six stadiums across five cities, with Abidjan hosting the final at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium.
The participating teams include;
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
On January 13, at 20:00 GMT Ivory Coast will face Guinea-Bissau at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan. The group stage will witness a minimum of two games per day, featuring a total of 24 teams. The top two teams in each group and the four best-ranked third-placed teams will advance to the last 16, while the bottom teams and the two last-ranked third-placed teams in each group will be eliminated.
The knockout stage, set to begin after three rest days from January 24, features exciting matchups, including clashes between group winners and third-placed teams. Egypt leads the all-time AFCON winners with seven titles, Cameroon with five and Ghana with four. The clear favourites for the 2023 edition are Morocco, looking to secure their second AFCON crown after a 40-year wait.
The prize money for the 2023 AFCON has seen a 40 percent increase, with the winners set to receive £5.5 million ($7 million). The runners-up will get £3.165 million ($4 million), while the semifinalists and quarter finalists will receive £1.979 million ($2.5 million) and £1.029 million ($1.3 million) each, respectively.
Football enthusiasts around the world can watch the match through global listings available on livesoccertv.com. With the stage set and high expectations, the CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2023 promises to be a thrilling showcase of African football talent and competition.
