2023-12-13 18:25:14
At the start of 2024, Ivory Coast, whose most famous footballer is certainly Didier Drogba, is hosting the African Cup of Nations (January 13 – February 11) for the 34th edition of the tournament. Initially, the competition was to be played during the summer of 2023, but it was ultimately decided to organize the tournament between January and February 2024 to avoid the peak rainy season in Ivory Coast.
The previous edition, organized in Cameroon, crowned Senegal for the first time, winner of Egypt in the final (0-0, 4-2 penalties) in Yaoundé on February 6, 2022. The 1984 edition (eight teams) had already been held in Ivory Coast and Cameroon won 3-1 against Nigeria in the final.
The format
The competition brings together the 24 best teams on the continent, divided into six groups of four. The tournament takes place following a group stage, which continues with a direct elimination phase, like the Euro or the World Cup. The first two in each group, plus the four best 3rds, i.e. sixteen teams, will qualify for the 1/8 finals. After which, the matches by direct elimination – single match, including extra time and penalties if necessary – continue through the quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final until the coronation of the champion team. Between the group stage and the final phase, the winner will therefore have played seven matches. A total of 52 matches will be played during the tournament.
The groups
The draw, carried out on October 12, decided the following field:
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, Mauritania, Angola
Group E: Tunisia, Mali, South Africa, Namibia
Group F: Morocco, DR Congo, Zambia, Tanzania
The Peace Stadium in Bouaké. Sia KAMBOU/AFP AFP or licensors
The stages
The Alassane Ouattara stadium in Abidjan (60,000 seats/south-east of the country) will notably host the opening match, Ivory Coast – Guinea-Bissau on Saturday January 13 (9 p.m.), and the final on Sunday February 11 (21 hours). Five other Ivorian stadiums will host matches: the Félix-Houphouët-Boigny stadium, in Abidjan (45,000 seats); the Peace Stadium, in Bouaké (40,000 seats); the Charles-Konan-Banny stadium, in Yamoussoukro (20,000 seats); the Amadou Gon Coulibaly stadium, in Korhogo (20,000 seats); the Laurent Pokou stadium, in San-Pédro (20,000 seats).
The official ball
In the colors of Côte d’Ivoire, orange, green and white, the official ball was named “Pokou” in homage to the late Laurent Pokou, top scorer in the 1968 and 1970 editions and legend of Ivorian football.
The mascot
The Ivorian CAN has chosen as its mascot an elephant equipped in the colors of the selection and named “Akwaba”, which means “Welcome” in the Akan language used in Ivory Coast and neighboring Ghana.
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