AFCON 2023 set for Q1 2024

The 34th edition of Afcon takes place from January 13-February 11, 2024.

It is the second time Ivory Coast has hosted the finals, having also welcomed Africa in 1984.

Originally scheduled to be held in June-July 2023, the tournament was moved due to fears about playing it in the rainy season.

Despite the fact it will now be played in 2024, it has kept 2023 as part of its official title.

The opening match will feature the hosts, nicknamed the Elephants, against one of the Group A opponents they are drawn against.

The top two teams and the four best-ranked third-placed teams from the six initial groups will advance to the round of 16, with quarter-finals, semi-finals, a match for third place and the final to follow.

The Alassane Ouattara Stadium in the Ivorian capital Abidjan will host the final on 11 February.

The Afcon draw will take place in Abidjan on 12 October at 1900 GMT.

This Nations Cup will feature 24 nations for a third time, after the competition was expanded in 2019.

Although Ivory Coast are hosts, they still took part in qualifying, finishing second to Zambia in Group H. Those two nations are joined by a further 22 teams who also finished in the top two of their final qualification groups.

All of the teams taking part have been involved in at least one of the past two tournaments with the exception of Zambia, the 2012 champions, who are appearing for the first time since 2015, and Mozambique, making their fifth appearance and first since 2010.

Central African Republic came closest to being the latest country to reach a maiden Afcon but missed out after losing their final fixture in Ghana, having been ahead.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's Gabon were probably the biggest nation to miss out, having featured at three of the last four finals.