AFCON 2021 on FMiG; When is the Africa Cup of Nations? Afcon start date, and schedule

The Africa Cup of Nations, the continent’s prestigious football tournament is set for a start in a barely 2 weeks. This is despite some earlier doubts given its timing and the rising cases of Covid-19’s Omicron Variant.

The tournament will however go ahead in January with Cameroon serving as the host nation. Defending Champions, Algeria are also representing in full force and these two alongside other notable names like Egypt, Nigeria, Senegal rank as favorites to win the trophy.

In this piece, FootballMadeinGhana will answer some questions on the AFCON regarding the start date, tournament schedule etc.

This piece will also precede our daily profiling of all participating teams and what to expect from them; including key players.

Enjoy the read.

When does the tournament start?

The tournament was originally scheduled to be played in June and July 2021 but the Confederation of Africa Football announced in January 2020 that due to unfavorable climatic conditions during this period, the tournament would take place from 9 January to 6 February 2021. In June 2020, the CAF moved the tournament for the second time to January 2022 following the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic across the continent.

Why is it still AFCON 2021 when its been played in 2022?
When CAF moved the tournament for the second and final time to January 2022, they retained the name 2021 Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship purposes.

What is the tournament schedule?

24 teams are participating in the tournament. The teams are divided in six groups comprising 4 teams in each group. Winners and Runners-up will reach the Round of 16, so too for the four best third-placed teams.

The tournament begins with Cameroon taking on Burkina Faso at the Olembe Stadium in Yaounde, which will also host the final on 6 February.

Group A

9 January: Cameroon vs Burkina Faso
9 January: Ethiopia vs Cape Verde
13 January: Cameroon vs Ethiopia
13 January: Cape Verde vs Burkina Faso
17 January: Cape Verde vs Cameroon
17 January: Burkina Faso vs Ethiopia

Group B

10 January: Senegal vs Zimbabwe
10 January: Guinea vs Malawi
14 January: Senegal vs Guinea
14 January: Malawi vs Zimbabwe
18 January: Malawi vs Senegal
18 January: Zimbabwe vs Guinea

Group C

10 January: Morocco vs Ghana
10 January: Comoros vs Gabon
14 January: Morocco vs Comoros
14 January: Gabon vs Ghana
18 January: Gabon vs Morocco
18 January: Ghana vs Comoros

Group D

11 January: Nigeria vs Egypt
11 January: Sudan vs Guinea-Bissau
15 January: Nigeria vs Sudan
15 January: Guinea-Bissau vs Egypt
19 January: Guinea-Bissau vs Nigeria
19 January: Egypt vs Sudan

Group E

11 January: Algeria vs Sierra Leone
11 January: Equatorial Guinea vs Ivory Coast
15 January: Ivory Coast vs Sierra Leone
15 January: Algeria vs Equatorial Guinea
19 January: Ivory Coast vs Algeria
19 January: Sierra Leone vs Equatorial Guinea

Group F

12 January: Tunisia vs Mali
12 January: Mauritania vs Gambia
16 January: Gambia vs Mali
16 January: Tunisia vs Mauritania
20 January: Gambia vs Tunisia
20 January: Mali vs Mauritania

Knockout schedule

Round of 16
23 January – 26 January
Quarter-final
29 January – 30 January
Semi-final
2 February – 3 February
Third-place play-off & Final 
6 February