2023 Africa Cup of Nations – Everything You Need to Know about the Competition
With the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) about to take place in the Ivory Coast from the 13th of January until the 11th of February 2024, there is still a cloud of confusion surrounding it. This biennial competition sparked a lot of excitement ever since it first started in 1957, bringing a lot of talents of the continent within the vibrant setting.
With so many storylines and players to become excited about, fans might not know what to expect from this tournament. In this article, you will learn more about the 2023 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, so you can be prepared for what’s to come.
Who Will Be Part of the Tournament?
In this 24th edition of the competition, there will be a total of 24 teams coming from various regions of Africa. There, they will compete for the title of best African football team. At the moment, Senegal is considered to be the defending champion team, after winning in the 2022 edition against Egypt.
Originally, 48 teams participated in the qualification process, all of which were divided into groups of four. The champions of the qualification stage led to the following teams moving forward:
- Zambia
- Mali
- Burkina Faso
- Morocco
- Senegal (Title Holders)
- Namibia
- Angola
- Guinea
- Cote d’Ivoire (Hosts)
- Algeria
- Mozambique
- Equatorial Guinea
- Mauritania
- South Africa
- DR Congo
- Cameroon
- Tunisia
- Tanzania
- Gambia
- Nigeria
- Cape Verde
- Guinea-Bissau
- Egypt
- Ghana
Regarding the broadcasting, there was a fair amount of confusion in this part of the tournament, as there was a disagreement between beIN Sports and CD. However, after the two reconciled and partnered again, it is believed that they would cover the North Africa and Middle East broadcasts. While Sky Sports did the broadcasts for 2022, there was no confirmation yet about such an agreement.
Why Is the Tournament Held in 2024?
Considering 2024 is just around the corner, many may still be confused by the fact that the tournament is called the “2023 Africa Cup of Nations.” Those who are not up to date may mistakenly believe that the tournament has already passed, causing them to no longer check the live scores. By using our football API, you can keep your website users informed as to when the tournament is taking place, increasing your overall website visits and the duration of their stay.
The reason for this date is a mix of political issues and geographic problems. Back in 2014, Guinea was originally named as the host for the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for that specific edition. Cameroon was also named as the host for 2019, whereas Ivory Coast was announced to hold the tournament in 2021. Still, certain situations caused a few instabilities in the schedule.
The first piece of this unwanted domino was the fact that the team numbers increased from 16 to 24. For it to not clash with the year’s European domestic league of 2019, the officials decided to move it from the beginning of the year into the middle of it. However, by that time, Cameroon was going through great political instability and the stadiums were not ready.
To make up for it, Cameroon was given the 2021 tournament, but it was thwarted once more due to the summer tropical rainstorms. They decided it was best to move the tournament to the beginning of 2022. Ivory Coast took up hosting duties for 2023, giving Guinea the 2025 tournament instead.
However, since it was struck by the same weather situation as Cameroon, the officials decided to delay the tournament for another 6 months. Therefore, while the event is technically taking place in Ivory Coast in 2024, it is still the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (which led to this entire trail of confusion).
The Stadiums Hosting the Events
During the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, there will be a total of 51 matches, which will take place throughout five cities: Bouake, Abidjan, San Pedro, Korhogo, and Yamoussoukro. The matches will be played across six stadiums in total.
The first and final match will take place at the Alassanr Ouattara Stadium, which was named after the former president of the country. The stadium has a capacity of up to 60,000 people, allowing fans from all over the world to enjoy the match. This is the largest stadium in the Ivory Coast, which is why it was deemed appropriate to host these matches.
Another stadium that will hold the games is the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium, which has a capacity of 29,000 people after its renovation. The venue was the host for the 1984 edition of the tournament, which was the first (and only) time to this day when the competition was held in this country.
Aside from the two matches, games will take place at the Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium, Stade de la Paix, Laurent Pokou Stadium, and Charles Konan Banny Stadium. All of them have been built especially for this event but have hosted numerous test matches beforehand since their construction. Considering the number of games and stadiums that will be covered, you can use our live score API to keep your visitors updated on the lineups.
How Many Tickets Have Been Sold?
CAF released the first batch of tickets on the 13th of November 2023, making them available on their website. Enthusiasts were able to buy the tickets in three categories, which ranged from $8 to $24. Only 25% of the tickets could be purchased at this stage, and there was a limit of 6 ticket purchases per household.
This year was the first one in the tournament’s history where online tickets were made available. According to CAF, this strategy is expected to enhance the experience of African football enthusiasts, especially the ones who cannot travel. This could increase engagement with the game, as a greater general public is able to attend.
The Bottom Line
After a long waiting time, the 2023 AFCON is finally coming closer. With the star players participating in the game, the tournament is expected to draw millions of people, especially with the release of online tickets. This will bring plenty of opportunities for our clients who want to broadcast information about the games!