AFCON 2021 kicks off in Yaounde, Cameroon; plus teams and fixtures
The Africa Cup of Nations finally started in Cameroon on Sunday January 9, three years later than planned and after two delays, with the hosts, Cameroon kicking off the tournament against Burkina Faso in the opening game that ended 2-1 in favor of Cameroon
Twenty-four teams will take part, kicking off on January 9 as hosts Cameroon host Burkina Faso in Yaounde, before culminating in the final on February 6 in the capital. The tournament, originally scheduled to be played in June and July 2021 is now played in Cameroon between January 9 and February 6, 2022.
The first postponement was a result of the host country’s own faulty preparations, and the other because of a global pandemic that organisers and everyone else had hoped would be in retreat by now.
Instead, the virus is surging again because of the Omicron variant, leaving the continent’s showpiece event in the same place it was 12 months ago, with the talents of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and many others at risk of being eclipsed by infections and outbreaks in a region that has some of the lowest vaccination rates in the world.
Amid some calls to postpone again, organisers will forge ahead with the 24-team, 52-game championship, culminating in the final taking place at the Olembe Stadium in Yaounde, the capital city.
Following Cameroon’s curtain-raiser against Burkina Faso at 4pm, Ethiopia take on Cape Verde at 7pm – with both games shown exclusively live on Sky Sports.
AFCON 2021 groups
Group A: Cameroon (hosts), Burkina Faso, Cape Verde Islands, Ethiopia
Group B: Guinea, Malawi, Senegal, Zimbabwe
Group C: Comoros Islands, 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
AFCON 2021 group-stage fixtures and results
Sunday January 9
Group A: Cameron vs Burkina Faso, 4pm (Olembe Stadium, Yaounde) – Live on Sky Sports Premier League
Group A: Ethiopia vs Cape Verde, 7pm (Olembe Stadium, Yaounde) – Live on Sky Sports Football
Monday January 10
Group B: Senegal vs Zimbabwe, 1pm (Kouekong Stadium, Bafoussam) – Live on Sky Sports Premier League
Group B: Guinea vs Malawi, 4pm (Kouekong Stadium, Bafoussam) – Live on Sky Sports Premier League
Group C: Morocco vs Ghana, 4pm (Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo, Yaounde) – Live on Sky Sports Football
Group C: Comoros vs Gabon, 7pm (Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo, Yaounde) – Live on Sky Sports Premier League
Tuesday January 11
Group E: Algeria vs Sierra Leone, 1pm (Japoma Stadium, Douala) – Live on Sky Sports Premier League
Group D: Nigeria vs Egypt, 4pm (Roumde Adjia Stadium, Garoua) – Live on Sky Sports Premier League
Group D: Sudan vs Guinea-Bissau, 7pm (Roumde Adjia Stadium, Garoua) – Live on Sky Sports Premier League
Wednesday January 12
Group F: Tunisia vs Mali, 1pm (Limbe Stadium, Limbe) – Live on Sky Sports Premier League
Group F: Mauritania vs Gambia, 4pm (Limbe Stadium, Limbe) – Live on Sky Sports Premier League
Group E: Equatorial Guinea vs Ivory Coast (Japoma Stadium, Douala) – Live on Sky Sports Premier League
hursday January 13
Group A: Cameroon vs Ethiopia, 4pm (Olembe Stadium, Yaounde) – Live on Sky Sports Premier League
Group A: Cape Verde vs Burkina Faso, 7pm (Olembe Stadium, Yaounde) – Live on Sky Sports Premier League
Friday January 14
Group B: Senegal vs Guinea, 1pm (Kouekong Stadium, Bafoussam) – Live on Sky Sports Premier League
Group B: Malawi vs Zimbabwe, 4pm (Kouekong Stadium, Bafoussam) – Live on Sky Sports Premier League
Group C: Morocco vs Comoros, 4pm (Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo, Yaounde) – Live on Sky Sports Football
Group C: Gabon vs Ghana, 7pm (Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo, Yaounde) – Live on Sky Sports Football
Saturday January 15
Group D: Nigeria vs Sudan, 4pm (Roumde Adjia Stadium, Garoua) – Live on Sky Sports
Group D: Guinea-Bissau vs Egypt, 7pm (Roumde Adjia Stadium, Garoua) – Live on Sky Sports Football
Sunday January 16
Group F: Gambia vs Mali, 1pm (Limbe Stadium, Limbe) – Live on Sky Sports Mix
Group E: Ivory Coast vs Sierra Leone, 4pm (Japoma Stadium, Douala) – Live on Sky Sports Football
Group F: Tunisia vs Mauritania, 4pm (Limbe Stadium, Limbe) – Live on Sky Sports Mix
Group E: Algeria vs Equatorial Guinea, 7pm (Japoma Stadium, Douala) – Live on Sky Sports Mix
Monday January 17
Group A: Burkina Faso vs Ethiopia, 4pm (Kouekong Stadium, Bafoussam) – Live on Sky Sports Premier League
Group A: Cape Verde vs Cameroon, 4pm (Olembe Stadium, Yaounde) – Live on Sky Sports Football
Tuesday January 18
Group B: Malawi vs Senegal, 4pm (Kouekong Stadium, Bafoussam) – Live on Sky Sports Football
Group B: Zimbabwe vs Guinea, 4pm (Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo, Yaounde) – Live on Sky Sports Premier League
Group C: Gabon vs Morocco, 7pm (Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo, Yaounde) – Live on Sky Sports Football
Group C: Ghana vs Comoros, 7pm (Roumde Adjia Stadium, Garoua) – Live on Sky Sports Premier League
Wednesday January 19
Group D: Egypt vs Sudan, 7pm (Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo, Yaounde) – Live on Sky Sports Football
Group D: Guinea-Bissau vs Nigeria, 7pm (Roumde Adjia Stadium, Garoua) – Live on Sky Sports Premier League
Thursday January 20
Group E: Ivory Coast vs Algeria, 4pm (Japoma Stadium, Douala) – Live on Sky Sports Football
Group E: Sierra Leone vs Equatorial Guinea, 4pm (Limbe Stadium, Limbe) – Live on Sky Sports Premier League
Group F: Gambia vs Tunisia, 7pm (Limbe Stadium, Limbe) – Live on Sky Sports Football
Group F: Mali vs Mauritania, 7pm (Japoma Stadium, Douala) – Live on Sky Sports Premier League
AFCON 2021 round-of-16 fixtures and results
Sunday January 23
Game 1: Group A runner-up vs Group C runner-up, 4pm (Limbe Stadium, Limbe) – Live on Sky Sports Football
Game 2: Group D winner vs Group B/E/F third-place, 7pm (Roumde Adjia Stadium, Garoua) – Live on Sky Sports Mix
Monday January 24
Game 3: Group B runner-up vs Group F runner-up, 4pm (Kouekong Stadium, Bafoussam) – Live on Sky Sports Football
Game 4: Group A winner vs Group C/D/E third-place, 7pm (Olembe Stadium, Yaounde) – Live on Sky Sports Premier League
Tuesday January 25
Game 5: Group B winner vs Group A/C/D third-place, 4pm (Kouekong Stadium, Bafoussam) – Live on Sky Sports Football
Game 6: Group C winner vs Group A/B/F third-place, 7pm (Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo, Yaounde) – Live on Sky Sports Football
Wednesday January 26
Game 7: Group E winner vs Group D runner-up, 4pm (Japoma Stadium, Douala) – Live on Sky Sports Football
Game 8: Group F winner vs Group E runner-up, 7pm (Limbe Stadium, Limbe) – Live on Sky Sports Premier League
AFCON 2021 quarter-final fixtures and results
Saturday January 29
Quarter-final 1: Round-of-16 game 4 winner vs Round-of-16 game 3 winner, 4pm (Japoma Stadium, Douala) – Live on Sky Sports
Quarter-final 2: Round-of-16 game 1 winner vs Round-of-16 game 2 winner, 7pm (Roumde Adjia Stadium, Garoua) – Live on Sky Sports Premier League
Sunday January 30
Quarter-final 3: Round-of-16 game 7 winner vs Round-of-16 game 6 winner, 4pm (Olembe Stadium, Yaounde) – Live on Sky Sports Premier League
Quarter-final 4: Round-of-16 game 5 winner vs Round-of-16 game 8 winner, 7pm (Japoma Stadium, Douala) – Live on Sky Sports Football
AFCON 2021 semi-final fixtures and results
Wednesday February 2
Semi-final 1: Quarter-final 1 winner vs Quarter-final 4 winner, 7pm (Japoma Stadium, Douala) – Live on Sky Sports
Thursday February 3
Semi-final 2: Quarter-final 2 winner vs Quarter-final 3 winner, 7pm (Olembe Stadium, Yaounde) – Live on Sky Sports
AFCON 2021 third-place match
Sunday February 6
Semi-final 1 loser vs Semi-final 2 loser, 4pm (Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo, Yaounde) – Live on Sky Sports
AFCON 2021 final
Sunday February 6
Semi-final 1 winner vs Semi-final 2 winner, 7pm (Olembe Stadium, Yaounde) – Live on Sky Sports
SOURCE. Sky Sports
