African Cup of Nations: All you need to know about AFCON 2021

The tournament will be contested by 24 teams with Algeria being the defending champion after winning the title in 2019.

Mr. Narcisse Mouelle Kombi, Minister of Sports and Physical Education of Cameroon presents the Africa Cup of Nations trophy.

The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is the first major international event of the football calendar in 2022 and is being hosted by Cameroon.

The tournament was initially supposed to take place in June 2021. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) then announced that due to unfavourable climatic conditions in Cameroon during this period, the tournament would take place from 9 January to 6 February 2021.

On June 30, 2020, the CAF postponed the tournament to January 2022 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The tournament will be contested by 24 teams with Algeria being the defending champion after winning the title in 2019. 

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Groups and Teams:

• Group A:  Cameroon (host), Burkina Faso, Cape Verde Islands, Ethiopia 
• Group B:  Guinea, Malawi, Senegal, Zimbabwe 
• Group C:  Comoros Island, Gabon, Ghana, Morocco 
• Group D:  Egypt, Guinea Bissau, Nigeria, Sudan 
• Group E:  Algeria, Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone 
• Group F:  Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, Tunisia

Format of the Tournament

There are 24 teams divided into six groups of four each. The top two will qualify for the last-16 alongside the four best-ranked third-placed sides.

When and where it is taking place?

The nation of Cameroon is hosting this edition of the AFCON. The tournament starts on January 9 and the first match will be played between the host country and Burkina Faso. The final will be played on February 7. 

Venues

The six venues selected to host the matches are:

• The Olembe Stadium and the Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo in the capital, Yaounde.
• The Japoma Stadium in Douala.
• The Limbe Stadium in Limbe.
• The Kouekong Stadium in Bafoussam.
• The Roumde Adjia Stadium in Garoua. 

The opening match between Cameroon and Burkina Faso and the final will take place at the newly-built Olembe Stadium.

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Teams to look out for  

Algeria:  The current champion Algeria is one of the favourites to win the competition. Fresh from winning the FIFA Arab Cup, the Riyad-Mahrez led side is on a 34-match unbeaten streak and is highly likely to break Italy's record of 37 unbeaten matches. Apart from Mahrez, Youcef Atal and Ramy Bensebaini are some of the key players in the squad. Algeria has two AFCON titles. 

Senegal:  Senegal has been Africa's top-ranked side in the last three years and will be boosted by the presence of Sadio Mane. Runner-up in 2019, Aliou Cisse's team can pose a serious title challenge if they play as a unit. They have a strong presence between the sticks in Edouard Mendy. Players like Kalidou Koulibaly and Idrissa Gana Gueye will be significant presences in the backline and midfield. The team will be keen to bag its first AFCON title. 

Egypt:  Record seven-time winner Egypt will be looking to add to its impressive tally and the fact that they are backed by Mohamed Salah who is enjoying a great season with Liverpool, makes their case even stronger to go deep into the tournament. Apart from Salah, the Pharaohs are backed by a tactically astute coach in Carlos Quieroz. 

Cameroon:  Cameroon boasts of five titles and will be looking to make it six on home soil. A team characterised by grit, it boasts of talented players like Andre Onana, Karl Toko Ekambi and Vincent Aboubakar. 

Where to watch the African Cup of Nations 2021 live in India?

The African Cup of Nations 2021 will be telecast live on the Sony Six and Sony ESPN SD and HD TV channels in India from Sunday, January 9. Coverage will begin from 9.30 PM.

Full schedule of AFCON 2021