As 2023 comes hurtling to an end, football fans can look ahead to the Africa Cup of Nations. It brings together Africa's biggest teams and players for a highly competitive bi-annual tournament. There will be plenty of stars from the world’s biggest leagues on show at AFCON 2023. We'll show you how to watch it, wherever you are in the world.
The tournament starts on January 13, 2024, with hosts Ivory Coast vs Guinea-Bissau and ends with the final on February 11. Despite the date, it's still know as AFCON 2023. That's because it was previously disrupted by the COVID pandemic and will now be held in the winter of 2024 to avoid the rainy season in the the Ivory Coast's summer.
Sadio Mané's Senegal grabbed the prize in the previous tournament. Can the Lions of Teranga retain their title? Will Mo Salah and Egypt avenge that final defeat? Or will the hosts put on a show and lift the trophy in front of their fans? We are certainly in for an exciting few weeks of football as we find out. The Ivorian football authorities are hoping to get some big crowds in too.
AFCON was first held in 1957. The format has changed a few times over the years. It often serves as a platform for future stars to make their name. No doubt scouts from around the world will be watching along with the fans.
Luckily, there are lots of ways to watch all the action. Read on and we will show you how to do so. Keep checking in on this page as there are lots of broadcast details still to be sorted out and we will keep you up to date.
How to watch AFCON 2023 free live streams in the UK and worldwide
How to watch AFCON 2023 live streams in the US
How to watch AFCON 2023 live streams from anywhere with a VPN
You can watch AFCON 2023 on any of the streaming services above by using a VPN – no matter where you are in the world!
Normally a streaming service will know where you are trying to tune in from and block you if you're not in the right country but a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is an app that hides your location. That means you can access your usual sports and entertainment services even while you're traveling abroad.
Our favorite VPN is ExpressVPN, which is the No. 1-rated VPN in the world right now according to our sister site, TechRadar. They have a helpful guide on the best VPN services if you'd like a full read.
How to use a VPN to watch any stream
- Download the app at ExpressVPN
- Choose the location of the streaming service you want to watch (UK, US, etc)
- Navigate to the streaming service and start watching!
Your AFCON questions
When does AFCON take place?
AFCON begins on January 13, 2024, with Ivory Coast vs Guinea-Bissau. That match kicks off at 12 pm PT, 3 pm ET, 8 pm GMT.
Where does AFCON take place?
The tournament takes place in different nations each time. AFCON 2023 is hosted by Ivory Coast, with games taking place in six stadiums across the country. The final will be held in Abidjan.
Who are the top players?
The Africa Cup of Nations boasts an array of stars. Many of them play their club football in Europe, although the Saudi Pro League also has decent representation.
Premier League players to look out for include Egypt and Liverpool's Mo Salah, Man Utd, Cameroon keeper Andre Onana and Tottenham's Yves Bissouma (Mali) and Pape Matar Sarr (Senegal). Nott'm Forest have seven players who could represent different nations in the tournament, with West Ham's Mohamed Kudus (Ghana), Maxwel Cornet (Ivory Coast), Nayef Aguerd (Morocco) and Said Benrahma (Algeria) also up for selection.
Sadio Mané plays for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League and is the focus of the Senegal team. Alongside him is former Chelsea centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly, who now is at Al-Hillel. Riyad Mahrez of Al-Ahli will lead Algeria.
What is the Africa Cup of Nations 2023 mascot?
A football playing elephant named Akwaba serves as the mascot for AFCON 2023. The character is, of course, dressed in Ivory Coast kit!
The name comes from a local Ivorian language and it means welcome. This "encapsulates essential values that make it a powerful symbol of the competition: hospitality, friendship, generosity, and team spirit", according to the tournament's organizers.
What is the official ball for the Africa Cup of Nations 2023?
Players at the Africa Cup of Nations 2023 will be using the 'Pokou' ball.
It is named after Laurent Pokou, a former Ivory Coast international who died in 2016. He was seventh highest goal scorer in the national team's history.
The Polous is made by Puma and features green and orange, echoing the Ivory Coast flag.
What is the theme song for AFCON 2023?
All tournaments need a theme song and AFCON 2023 is no exception! The track shares the title of the mascot 'Akwaba'.
It was written and recorded by artists from across Africa – Ivorian group Magic System, Egyptian pop star Mohamed Ramadan and Nigerian singer Yemi Alade. Dany Synthe was on production duty.
Tournament organizers describe it as "a fusion of afrobeat, rap and zouglou in a unique musical mix that remains deeply entrenched with the tradition of the competition's previous anthems." It's certainly catchy and the video encapsulates the excitement in the host nation ahead of the competition.
AFCON 2023 Groups
Group A
Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea Bissau
Group B
Egypt, Ghana, Cape Verde, Mozambique
Group C
Senegal, Cameroon, Guinea, Gambia
Group D
Algeria, Burkina Faso, Mauritius, Angola
Group E
Tunisia, Mali, South Africa, Namibia
Group F
Morocco, DR Congo, Zambia, Tanzania
AFCON 2023 Fixtures
GROUP STAGE
Saturday, January 13
Ivory Coast vs Guinea-Bissau 12pm PT, 3pm ET, 8pm GMT
Sunday, January 14
Nigeria vs Equatorial Guinea 6am PT, 9am ET, 2pm GMT
Egypt vs Mozambique, 9am PT, 12 pm ET, 5pm GMT
Ghana vs Cape Verde 12pm PT, 3pm ET, 8pm GMT
Monday, January 15
Senegal vs Gambia 6am PT, 9am ET, 2pm GMT
Cameroon vs Guinea 9am PT, 12 pm ET, 5pm GMT
Algeria vs Angola 12pm PT, 3pm ET, 8pm GMT
Tuesday, January 16
Burkina vs Mauritania 6am PT, 9am ET, 2pm GMT
Tunisia vs Namibia 9am PT, 12 pm ET, 5pm GMT
Mali vs South Africa 12pm PT, 3pm ET, 8pm GMT
Wednesday, January 17
Morocco vs Tanzania 6am PT, 9am ET, 2pm GMT
DR Congo vs Zambia 12pm PT, 3pm ET, 8pm GMT
Thursday, January 18
Equatorial Guinea vs Guinea-Bissau 6am PT, 9am ET, 2pm GMT
Ivory Coast vs Nigeria 9am PT, 12 pm ET, 5pm GMT
Egypt vs Ghana 12pm PT, 3pm ET, 8pm GMT
Friday, January 19
Cape Verde vs Mozambique 6am PT, 9am ET, 2pm GMT
Senegal vs Cameroon 9am PT, 12 pm ET, 5pm GMT
Guinea vs Gambia 12pm PT, 3pm ET, 8pm GMT
Saturday, January 20
Algeria vs Burkina 6am PT, 9am ET, 2pm GMT
Mauritania vs Angola 9am PT, 12 pm ET, 5pm GMT
Tunisia vs Mali 12pm PT, 3pm ET, 8pm GMT
Sunday, January 21
Morocco vs DR Congo 6am PT, 9am ET, 2pm GMT
Zambia vs Tanzania 9am PT, 12 pm ET, 5pm GMT
South Africa vs Namibia 12pm PT, 3pm ET, 8pm GMT
Monday, January 22
Equatorial Guinea vs Ivory Coast, 5pm
Guinea-Bissau vs Nigeria 9am PT, 12 pm ET, 5pm GMT
Cape Verde vs Egypt, 12pm PT, 3pm ET, 8pm GMT
Mozambique vs Ghana 12pm PT, 3pm ET, 8pm GMT
Tuesday, January 23
Gambia vs Cameroon 9am PT, 12 pm ET, 5pm GMT
Guinea vs Senegal 9am PT, 12 pm ET, 5pm GMT
Angola vs Burkina, 12pm PT3pm ET, 8pm GMT
Mauritania vs Algeria 12pm PT, 3pm ET, 8pm GMT
Wednesday, January 24
Namibia vs Mali 9am PT, 12 pm ET, 5pm GMT
South Africa vs Tunisia 9am PT, 12 pm ET, 5pm GMT
Tanzania vs DR Congo, 12pm PT, 3pm ET, 8pm GMT
Zambia vs Morocco 12pm PT, 3pm ET, 8pm GMT
Round of 16
Saturday, January 27
Match 1 9am PT, 12 pm ET, 5pm GMT
Match 2 12pm PT, 3pm ET, 8pm GMT
Sunday, January 28
Match 3 9am PT, 12 pm ET, 5pm GMT
Match 4 12pm PT, 3pm ET, 8pm GMT
Monday, January 29
Match 5 9am PT, 12 pm ET, 5pm GMT
Match 6 12pm PT, 3pm ET, 8pm GMT
Tuesday, January 30
Match 7 9am PT, 12 pm ET, 5pm GMT
Match 8 12pm PT, 3pm ET, 8pm GMT
Quarter-finals
Friday, February 2
QF 1 9am PT, 12 pm ET, 5pm GMT
QF 2 12pm PT, 3pm ET, 8pm GMT
Saturday, February 3
QF 3 9am PT, 12 pm ET, 5pm GMT
QF 4 12pm PT, 3pm ET, 8pm GMT
Semi-finals
Wednesday, February 7
SF 1 9am PT, 12 pm ET, 5pm GMT
SF 2 12pm PT, 3pm ET, 8pm GMT
Third place play-off
Saturday, February 10
Third place play-off 12pm PT, 3pm ET, 8pm GMT
Final
Sunday, February 11
Final 12pm PT, 3pm ET, 8pm GMT
