The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations is the 34th edition of the African international football association. Moreover, the Confederation of African Football, or CAF, organizes this tournament. This season, it will take place in Ivory Coast.
Although it should have taken place between June and July 2023, there’s been a postponement. Due to weather concerns, this football tournament will take place the following year. The CAF confirmed that this edition of AFCON will last through January and February 2024.
And football fans interested in AFCON fixtures can watch some of the top teams from Africa perform during Matchday 3 and 4. These qualification matches are to take place between the 20th and 28th of March, 2023. Some of the first teams to perform in this stage include Guinea vs. Ethiopia, Ghana vs. Angola, and Gabon vs. Sudan. Read on to learn more about AFCON fixtures and what to expect from this group stage.
What Is the Africa Cup of Nations Format?
To start, 54 members of the Confederation of African Football were expected to join the competition. However, the teams were ranked according to the rankings. So, those teams that held 1st to 42nd position on this list were considered to have a pass for the group stage. The last 12 teams on this list had to go through the Preliminary round, and the best ones were then sent to the group stage.
In addition, 48 nations will take part in the second round of the qualifiers. Before the qualification matches started, they were organized into four pots. Based on the official 2022 rankings, the initial groups or pots looked like this:
- Pot 1: Algeria, Cameroon, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, Mali, and Tunisia
- Pot 2: Benin Republic, Cape Verde, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Republic of Congo, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, and Sierra Leone
- Pot 3: Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Libya, Malawi, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger Republic, The Gambia, Togo, Zimbabwe, and Comoros
- Pot 4: Botswana, Burundi, Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Liberia, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, and Sao Tome & Principe
Furthermore, they are then sorted into 12 qualification groups comprising four teams. These are some teams that will compete against one another in qualifying AFCON fixtures:
- Guinea Bissau, Nigeria, Sao Tome & Principle / Mauritius, and Sierra Leone
- Burundi, Cameroon, Kenya, and Namibia
- Egypt, Ethiopia, Guinea, and Malawi
- Congo, The Gambia, Mali, and South Sudan
- Algeria, Niger, Tanzania, and Uganda
- Morocco, Liberia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe
- Benin, Mozambique, Rwanda, and Senegal
A team that scores the most points within a group goes through as the winner. The runner-up can enter the knockout stages if the team performs well in the group standings. Also, the highest-ranked third-placed teams can also reach the final 16.
When the round of 16 knockout qualifications begins, the winners go to the quarter-finals. Before the final takes place, there’s a one-off game. It’s played between two teams that get through their AFCON fixtures but are eliminated during the semi-finals. The winner of the game achieves a third-place finish. Finally, the remaining two teams compete for the championship title.
Where to Find AFCON Predictions
The African Cup of Nations is the biggest football tournament on this continent. Therefore, most bookmakers cover all AFCON fixtures. Moreover, punters can place both pre-match and live bets on these events. So, once sports betting predictions become available, there’ll be numerous football markets. Some popular options will include:
- 1×2
- Total
- Double Chance
- Handicap
- Asian Handicap
- Both Teams to Score
When the tournament begins, you should visit your preferred wagering platform to see the latest predictions. There, you can keep track of the latest results and odds across different football betting markets. By doing so, you can make more informed wagering decisions.
Where to Bet on AFCON 2023
Moreover, there are many betting sites where you can wager on the 2023 AFCON fixtures. In the table below, you can find some of the best platforms to engage in AFCON betting.
Conclusion
The CAF will gradually reveal more details about the upcoming 2023 AFCON fixtures. So, you can follow the football news to stay up to date with the latest information regarding the African Cup of Nations.
As the new round of qualification matches draws near, you will be able to find AFCON predictions on the chosen betting site. And you can get familiar with the latest betting odds and tips to make better wagering choices.
FAQs
Finally, take a look at some of the most frequently asked questions about 2023 AFCON fixtures.
Ivory Coast will host the 2023 edition of the African Cup of Nations. That will be the second time this country will be the AFCON host.
Yes, Ghana qualified for the 2023 African Cup of Nations. It is part of group E, alongside Angola, Central African Republic, and Madagascar. Ghana was also part of Pot 1, together with Senegal, Egypt, Mali, Cameroon, Morocco, Algeria, and other countries.
Yes, Tanzania will participate in the 2023 AFCON fixtures. It comprised the Pot 4 along with Sudan, Ethiopia, and other countries.
