Velona Ayuko
The 33rd edition of this flagship competition began on Sunday, January 9th, 2022. With a match of Cameroon against Burkina Faso. The five-time champions will be hosting this competition at the Olembe stadium in Yaounde, Cameroon.
The Africa Cup of Nations happens every 2 years. Kenya and other countries did not qualify to be in the playoffs on this edition. Teams from East Africa that will be present are Walias (Ethiopia) and Falcons of Jediane (Sudan). The majority of the rest are teams from North and West Africa.
The group stage consists of six groups, with a total of 24 teams. The group stage will be completed on January 20th and the Round of 16 will start from January 23rd- 26th.
The final match will be played on February, 6th at Olembe Stadium.
Founded in 1957 and authorized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the CAF Africa Cup of Nations is the main international men’s association football competition in Africa.
Reigning champions Algeria bagged their second title in 2019.
Egypt’s national football team, the Pharaoh’s, is the most successful in the Africa Cup of Nations, having won the tournament seven times in a row, including the inaugural edition when the country was known as the United Arab Republic from 1958 – 1961. Securing the titles in 1957, 1959, 1986, 1998, 2006, 2008, and 2010.
Group Stage:
Group A: Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Cape Verde
Group B: Senegal, Zimbabwe, Guinea, Malawi
Group C: Morocco, Ghana, Comoros, Gabon
Group D: Nigeria, Egypt, Sudan, Guinea-Bissau
Group E: Algeria, Sierra Leone, Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast
Group F: Tunisia, Mali, Mauritania, Gambia
You can get timely AFCON 2021 updates from their official website.
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