24 countries are vying for the largest prize in African football as the 34th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations gets underway in Ivory Coast on January 13.
After hosting the competition in 1984, Ivory Coast will host the Africa Cup of Nations for the second time.
However, twenty-four countries will compete in six stadiums located in five Ivorian cities at this year’s edition. The host country, Ivory Coast will play the competition’s opening match on January 13 when the Elephants take on Guinea-Bissau in Abidjan.
Current champions Senegal, Cameroon, Egypt, Nigeria, and Morocco are the tournament favourites at the start of the campaign, and stars like Sadio Mané, Kalidou Koulibaly, Mohamed Salah, Victor Osimhen, and Riyad Mahrez are expected to steal the show.
The top two sides in each of the six groups will advance to the Round of 16 and will be joined by four of the best placed third placed teams. The competition then follows a direct knock-out format through to the 11 February final where the champion of Africa will be crowned at the 60,000 capacity Alassane Ouattara Stadium in the capital, Abidjan.
Group A: Ivory Coast vs Guinea-Bissau, Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan (9pm) Nigerian Time.
Group A: Nigeria vs Equatorial Guinea, Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan (3pm)
Group B: Egypt vs Mozambique, Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium, Abidjan (6pm)
Group B: Ghana vs Cape Verde, Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium, Abidjan (9pm)
Group C: Senegal vs The Gambia, Charles Konan Banny Stadium, Yamoussoukro (3pm)
Group C: Cameroon vs Guinea, Yamoussoukro (6pm)
Group D: Algeria vs Angola, Stade de la Paix, Bouake (9pm)
Group D: Burkina Faso vs Mauritania, Bouake (3pm)
Group E: Tunisia vs Namibia, Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium, Korhogo (6pm)
Group E: Mali vs South Africa, Korhogo (9pm)
Group F: Morocco vs Tanzania, Laurent Pokou Stadium, San Pedro (6pm)
Group F: DR Congo vs Zambia, San Pedro (9pm)
Group A: Equatorial Guinea vs Guinea-Bissau, Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan (3pm)
Group A: Ivory Coast vs Nigeria, Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan (6pm)
Group B: Egypt vs Ghana, Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium, Abidjan (9pm)
Group B: Cape Verde vs Mozambique, Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium, Abidjan (3pm)
Group C: Senegal vs Cameroon, Yamoussoukro (6pm)
Group C: Guinea vs The Gambia, Yamoussoukro (9pm)
Group D: Algeria vs Burkina Faso, Bouake (3pm)
Group D: Mauritania vs Angola, Bouake (6pm)
Group E: Tunisia vs Mali, Korhogo (9pm)
Group E: South Africa vs Namibia, Korhogo (9pm)
Group F: Morocco vs DR Congo, San Pedro (12pm)
Group F: Zambia vs Tanzania, San Pedro (6pm)
Group A: Equatorial Guinea vs Ivory Coast, Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan (3pm)
Group A: Guinea-Bissau vs Nigeria, Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium, Abidjan (3pm)
Group B: Cape Verde vs Egypt, Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium, Abidjan (9pm)
Group B: Mozambique vs Ghana, Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan (9pm)
Group C: The Gambia vs Cameroon, Bouake (6pm)
Group C: Guinea vs Senegal, Yamoussoukro (6pm)
Group D: Angola vs Burkina Faso, Yamoussoukro (9pm)
Group D: Mauritania vs Algeria, Bouake (9pm)
Group E: Namibia vs Mali, San Pedro (6pm)
Group E: South Africa vs Tunisia, Korhogo (6pm)
Group F: Tanzania vs DR Congo, Korhogo (9pm)
Group F: Zambia vs Morocco, San Pedro (9pm)
SR1: Group D Winner vs 3rd Place Group B/E/F, Bouake (6pm)
SR2: Group A Second Place vs Group C Second Place, Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium, Abidjan (9pm)
SR3: Group A Winner vs 3rd Place Group C/D/E, Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan (6pm)
SR4: Group B Second Place vs Group F Second Place, San Pedro (9pm)
SR5: Group B Winner vs 3rd Place Group A/C/D, Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium, Abidjan (6pm)
SR6: Group C Winner vs 3rd Place Group A/B/F, Yamoussoukro (9pm)
SR7: Group E Winner vs Group D Second Place, Korhogo (6pm)
SR8: Group F Winner vs Group E Second Place, San Pedro (9pm)
QF1: Winner SR2 vs Winner RS1, Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium, Abidjan (6pm)
QF2: Winner SR4 vs Winner SR3, Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan (9pm)
QF3: Winner SR7 vs Winner RS6, Bouake (6pm)
QF4: Winner SR5 vs Winner SR8, Yamoussoukro (9pm)
SF1: Winner QF1 vs Winner QF4, Bouake (6pm)
SF2: Winner QF3 vs Winner QF2, Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan (9pm)
SF1 vs SF2 losers, Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium, Abidjan (9pm)
SF1 vs SF2 winners, Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan (9pm)