The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), football tournament, opens on Saturday in La Cote D’Ivoire with 24 nations set to participate.
Senegal, are the defending champions having won their maiden trophy at the last edition held in Cameroon in 2021.
Cote D’Ivoire, are hosting the tournament for the second time having hosted Africa’s biggest football competition for the first time in 1984.
The 34th edition of the biennial tournament, brings together all the powerhouses in the African game, as they look to wrestle away the trophy from the Senegalese.
The 24 teams, have been housed into six groups of four teams each with the top two at the end of the group phase and the four beat third placed finishers, advancing to the knockout stages of the campaign.
Hosts Cote D’Ivoire who are two-time winners of the competition, are in Group A alongside three-time winners Nigeria, Guinea-Bissau and Equatorial Guinea.
In Group B, are record winners of the competition Egypt (seven), four-time champions Ghana, Cape Verde and Mozambique.
Group C comprises reigning champions Senegal, five-time winners Cameroon, Guinea and The Gambia.
Twice winners of the tournament Algeria, Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Angola, are in Group D.
Group E has two-time winners Tunisia, Mali, South Africa who have won it once and Namibia.
Former winners Morocco, twice champions DR Congo, one-time winner Zambia and Tanzania, are in the final pool, Group F.
After the opening ceremony on Saturday, Cote D’Ivoire will open the campaign against Guinea-Bissau at the Alassane Quattara Stadium, Ebimpe, Abidjan, at 8:00 PM local time.
In all, 52 matches will be played during the competition, with the group phase expected to end on January 24.
The second round fixtures will be played between January 27 and 30 with the quarter-finals set to come off on February 2 and 3, 2024.
The two semi-finals games will be played on February 7 with the third placed game coming off on February 10.
On Sunday, February 11, the grand finale will be played at the Alassane Quattara Stadium, Ebimpe, Abidjan with kickoff time set for 8:00 PM local time.
