AFCON 2023 has been one of the best and most fascinating for years. Hosted by Ivory Coast, the latest edition of the Africa Cup of Nations was originally scheduled for summer 2023 but weather conditions and the probability of tropical storms in the country meant it's been delay until January-February 2024. Defending champions Senegal fell in the last 16 along with seven-time winners Egypt and favorites Morocco as a tournament full of upsets reigned. Nigeria and hosts Ivory Coast are the only teams left — don't miss what promises to be a pulsating final.
AFCON 2023 is airing for FREE in some countries. But don't worry if you're traveling while it's on — because you can watch the AFCON 2023 live streams from anywhere with a VPN.
► Dates: January 13 to February 11, 2024
► Time: Daily from 11 a.m. ET / 9 a.m PT / 2 p.m. GMT / 1 a.m. AEDT
► FREE LIVE STREAMS — SABC Plus (South Africa)
► U.S. — beIN Sports via SlingTV, FuboTV or Fanatiz
► U.K. — Watch on Sky Sports
► Watch anywhere — Try ExpressVPN 100% risk free
European clubs may wince at the prospect of a winter AFCON as they lose some of their biggest stars for as much as six weeks – or in Liverpool's case, Mo Salah to a hamstring strain – but the spectacle of Africa's biggest sporting event is a constant source of pride, color and spectacular football no matter what time of year it's played.
The AFCON 2023 tournament format sees 24 qualified teams trying to make it out of six groups of four. The top two qualify for the last 16 by right, with the four best third-placed teams also making the knockout stages. From then on, it's a straight knockout until the final at the 60,000-seater Alassane Ouattara Stadium on Sunday, February 11.
Nigeria are AFCON finalists for an eighth time. In a thrilling denouement to their semi-final against South Africa, the Super Eagles had to deal with a what would have been a second goal turn into a Bafana Bafana penalty because of a foul in their own box in the build up. The game went to penalties, where Kelechi Iheanacho scored the decisive kick and secure just their second semi win in their last eight attempts at this tournament.
Earlier in the tournament, they'd beaten unexpected quarter-finalists Angola, ranked 117th in the world pre-tournament in the last eight. Former Everton forward Ademola Lookman has grown into the tournament, reflecting the Super Eagles' own slow start, but has three goals in his last two starts.
Fellow finalists Ivory Coast have had a mixed bag. The Elephants had to rely on other results just to qualify as one of the best third-place teams after losing twice in Group A, including a 4-0 shellacking against Equatorial Guinea, the worst-ever defeat for a host nation. Then, their manager sacked mid-tournament, they knocked out defending champions Senegal on penalties in the last 16, then scored in the last minute of regulation time and extra time to beat Mali 2-1 and make the last four.
Their 1-0 semi-final defeat of DR Congo was altogether more routine in a cagey affair, but Sebastien Haller found the net to take the Elephants through to a fifth continental final. They'll need the Borussia Dortmund man firing for that final.
Make sure you know how to catch all the football action by tuning in to watch AFCON 2023 live streams. Scroll down for all the news and fixtures, today's games, plus info on the groups, song and even match ball.
Next AFCON 2023 games
Who is playing in the next AFCON 2023 matches?
Sunday February 11
Nigeria vs Ivory Coast 8 p.m. GMT / 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT
With South Africa taking third place after winning another penalty shootout on Saturday night, it's now time for the AFCON 2023 final between Nigeria and Ivory Coast.
Nigeria have been the tournament's most consistent team, their defense shipping just two goals in reaching their eighth continental final. Center-back and captain William Troost-Ekong has also contributed two penalties (plus another in the semi-final shootout defeat of South Africa) to get the Super Eagles this far, much need with star forward Victor Osimhen curiously out of form. Can the Napoli man finally turn it on in when it matters most in the final?
Ivory Coast's route to the final at their home tournament has been pure chaos. The Elephants changed head coach after a record 4-0 group stage defeat to Equatorial Guinea nearly knocked them out but they sneaked through and have found some form in the knockout rounds. Defending champions Senegal fell in the last 16, followed by defeats of Mali and DR Congo, with star forward Sebastien Haller finding some form after recovering from injury.
These teams have faced each other once before already this tournament, a 1-0 Group A win for Nigeria via one of Troost-Ekong's spot-kicks. Will it be revenge or repeat in the AFCON 2023 final?
FREE AFCON 2023 live streams
How to watch AFCON 2023 live streams for FREE
Great news, AFCON 2023 fans around the world — there's a good chance that you'll be able to watch the 24 teams battle it out to become African champions with a free live stream.
That's because AFCON 2023 will be shown free-to-air on SABC has secured the rights to live stream all 52 Africa Cup of Nations matches in 2024 in South Africa. That means you can watch AFCON games for FREE on the SABC Plus website. Head to the SABC Plus online player and look for the SABC Sport Channel.
In the U.K., the BBC will show 10 games on its various channel and website, including we expect the semi-finals and final. Nine games will be shown on BBC Three, one on BBC Two and all 10 on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website. The group-stage match between four-time champions Ghana and record seven-time winners Egypt on Thursday, January 18 will one of them.
If you live in the U.S., Canada, Australia or France, however, you'll need a pay-TV option to keep abreast of all the AFCON action. Late broadcast deals aren't uncommon for AFCON, so make sure you scroll down to find out who has the live streams in your country as they might change as we get closer to tournament kick-off. And, don't worry, we'll be updating this page regularly so you won't miss a beat.
What if you aren't at home for a particular AFCON 2023 live stream? Maybe you're on holiday and don't want to spend money on pay TV in another country, when you'd usually be able to watch for free at home?
Don't worry — you can watch it via a VPN instead. We'll show you how to do that below.
AFCON 2023 live streams around the world
How to watch AFCON 2023 live streams from anywhere with a VPN
A VPN, or virtual private network, makes it look as if you're surfing the web from your home country, rather than the one you're in. That means you can access the streaming services you already pay for, from anywhere on Earth. Or anywhere that has an internet connection, at least.
For instance, a South African who's currently in the U.S. or U.K. could watch the AFCON 2023 live streams on SABC Plus, even though they're not in South Africa.
They're totally legal, inexpensive and easy to use. We've tested lots of the best VPN services and our favorite right now is ExpressVPN. It's fast, works on loads of devices and even offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Using a VPN is incredibly simple.
1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, ExpressVPN is our favorite.
2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance if you're in the U.S. and want to view a South African service, you'd select South African from the list.
3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to SABC Plus and watch AFCON 2023.
AFCON 2023 live streams by country
How to watch AFCON 2023 live streams in the U.S.
Soccer fans in the U.S. will want beIN Sports to catch the AFCON 2023 live streams and there are plenty of ways to tune in. beIN is the home of African soccer Stateside and also shows the CAF Champions League, CAF Confederation Cup, the Super Cup and the Women’s Champions League. Coverage will be available in English and Spanish.
beIN Sports is available through most cable packages as well as some of the best cable TV alternatives, including Sling TV, Fubo.TV, YouTube TV and Hulu with Live TV.
For cord-cutters, one option is Sling TV. The Sling Blue package is priced from $40 per month and it comes with more than 30 channels including USA. New users often get a discount on their first month.
Fubo costs $75 per month for 121 channels and includes beIN Sports, plus ESPN, NBC and plenty of others besides. It also offer a 7-day free trial.
There's also Fanatiz, which costs $9.99 and provides access to the AFCON 2023 live streams.
If you already use those services but aren't in the U.S. right now, you can watch AFCON 2023 live streams by using a VPN such as ExpressVPN. And if, for whatever reason, you can't get it working, do remember that you have the comfort of a 30-day money back guarantee with ExpressVPN.
How to watch AFCON 2023 live streams in the U.K.
Though it has yet to add AFCON 2023 matches to its schedules, Sky Sports is being widely listed as showing the tournament live streams in the UK. If you already have a Sky subscription that doesn't include Sports, you'll need to pay £18/month to add those channels.
Whichever package you go for, you'll also gain access to coverage in 4K and HDR, so long as you also have an HDR-ready Sky Q box and HLG-compatible TV.
Sky Glass is another option. This gives you Sky TV within a 4K TV that has a built-in Dolby Atmos soundbar, and without the need for a dish. Prices start at £13/month for the TV, plus a sky sub on top of that.
If you don't want to shell out for a full Sky subscription, you could also consider its Now Sports streaming service. This gives you 24-hour access for £11.99 or month-long access for £34.99.
The BBC has also announced it will show 10 live games for free from the tournament. Nine of the matches will be live on BBC Three and one on BBC Two, with all of them also on BBC iPlayer & the BBC Sport website.
All sounds great, right? But if you're not in the UK, you can still follow the AFCON 2023 live streams by using one of the best VPN services, such as ExpressVPN.
How to watch the AFCON 2023 live streams in Canada
Canadians can watch the AFCON 2023 live streams on Fubo, which is also the home of Premier League soccer in Canada.
For just CAN$24.99 a month, you'll get access to the Essentials plan, which gets you AFCON 2023 matches via beIN Sports, all Premier League matches, all Serie A matches plus 29 channels including MLB Network. The $39.99 Premium plan adds 20 entertainment channels and more on top of that.
Canadians stuck abroad that still want their low-price alternative can use a VPN such as ExpressVPN to trick their streaming device into thinking it's back in the great white north.
How to watch the AFCON 2023 live streams in Australia
If you want to watch the AFCON 2023 live streams from Australia you'll need to have access to beIN Sports. This can be added to your TV package, or you can sign up for beIN as a separate subscription. This costs $19 per month or $179 for the year.
Alternatively, you can opt for Kayo Sports which includes beIN in its package. Kayo also offers a two-week trial, and after your free 14 days, a basic plan costs $25 a month, while a Premium subscription is a little more expensive at $35.
Not in Australia right now? You can simply use ExpressVPN to watch all the action on your travels as if you were back home.
AFCON 2023 Fixtures
AFCON 2023 fixture list and TV listings
(All times ET / GMT)
Group stage: Jan. 13-24, 2024
| 3 p.m. / 8 p.m. | Ivory Coast vs Guinea Bissau | 2-0 |
| 9 a.m. / 2 p.m. | Nigeria vs Equatorial Guinea | 1-1 |
| 12 p.m. / 5 p.m. | Egypt vs Mozambique | 2-2 |
| 3 p.m. / 8 p.m. | Ghana vs Cape Verde | 1-2 |
| 9 a.m. / 2 p.m. | Senegal vs Gambia | 3-0 |
| 12 p.m. / 5 p.m. | Cameroon vs Guinea | 1-1 |
| 3 p.m. / 8 p.m. | Algeria vs Angola | 1-1 |
| 9 a.m. / 2 p.m. | Burkina Faso vs Mauritania | 1-0 |
| 12 p.m. / 5 p.m. | Tunisia vs Namibia | 0-1 |
| 3 p.m. / 8 p.m. | Mali vs South Africa | 2-0 |
| 12 p.m. / 5 p.m. | Morocco vs Tanzania | 3-0 |
| 3 p.m. / 8 p.m. | DR Congo vs Zambia | 1-1 |
| 9 a.m. / 2 p.m. | Equatorial Guinea vs Guinea-Bissau | 4-2 |
| 12 p.m. / 5 p.m. | Ivory Coast vs Nigeria | 0-1 |
| 3 p.m. / 8 p.m. | Egypt vs Ghana | 2-2 |
| 9 a.m. / 2 p.m. | Cape Verde vs Mozambique | 3-0 |
| 12 p.m. / 5 p.m. | Senegal vs Cameroon | 3-1 |
| 3 p.m. / 8 p.m. | Guinea vs Gambia | 1-0 |
| 9 a.m. / 2 p.m. | Algeria vs Burkina Faso | 2-2 |
| 12 p.m. / 5 p.m. | Mauritania vs Angola | 2-3 |
| 3 p.m. / 8 p.m. | Tunisia vs Mali | 1-1 |
| 9 a.m. / 2 p.m. | Morocco vs DR Congo | 1-1 |
| 12 p.m. / 5 p.m. | Zambia vs Tanzania | 1-1 |
| 3 p.m. / 8 p.m. | South Africa vs Namibia | 4-0 |
| 12 p.m. / 5 p.m. | Equatorial Guinea vs Ivory Coast | 4-0 |
| 12 p.m. / 5 p.m. | Guinea-Bissau vs Nigeria | 0-1 |
| 3 p.m. / 8 p.m. | Cape Verde vs Egypt | 2-2 |
| 3 p.m. / 8 p.m. | Mozambique vs Ghana | 2-2 |
| 12 p.m. / 5 p.m. | Gambia vs Cameroon | 2-3 |
| 12 p.m. / 5 p.m. | Guinea vs Senegal | 0-2 |
| 3 p.m. / 8 p.m. | Angola vs Burkina Faso | 2-0 |
| 3 p.m. / 8 p.m. | Mauritania vs Algeria | 1-0 |
| 12 p.m. / 5 p.m. | Namibia vs Mali | 0-0 |
| 12 p.m. / 5 p.m. | South Africa vs Tunisia | 0-0 |
| 3 p.m. / 8 p.m. | Tanzania vs DR Congo | 0-0 |
| 3 p.m. / 8 p.m. | Zambia vs Morocco | 0-1 |
Round of 16: Jan. 27-30, 2024
| 12 p.m. / 5 p.m. | Angola vs Namibia | 3-0 |
| 3 p.m. / 8 p.m. | Nigeria vs Cameroon | 2-0 |
| 12 p.m. / 5 p.m. | Equatorial Guinea vs Guinea | 0-1 |
| 3 p.m. / 8 p.m. | Egypt vs DR Congo | 1-1 (DR Congo win 8-7 on pens) |
| 12 p.m. / 5 p.m. | Cape Verde vs Mauritiania | 1-0 |
| 3 p.m. / 8 p.m. | Senegal vs Ivory Coast | 1-1 (Ivory Coast win 5-4 on pens) |
| 12 p.m. / 5 p.m. | Mali vs Burkina Faso | 2-1 |
| 3 p.m. / 8 p.m. | Morocco vs South Africa | 0-2 |
Quarter-Finals: Feb. 2-3, 2024
| 12 p.m. / 5 p.m. | Nigeria vs Angola | 1-0 |
| 3 p.m. / 8 p.m. | DR Congo vs Guinea | 3-1 |
| 12 p.m. / 5 p.m. | Mali vs Ivory Coast | 1-2 |
| 3 p.m. / 8 p.m. | Cape Verde. vs South Africa | 0-0 (South Africa win 2-1 on pens) |
Semi-Finals: Feb. 7, 2024
| 12 p.m. / 5 p.m. | Nigeria vs South Africa | 1-1 (Nigeria win 4-2 on pens) |
| 3 p.m. / 8 p.m. | Ivory Coast vs DR Congo | 1-0 |
Third-Place Playoff: Feb. 10, 2024
| 3 p.m. / 8 p.m. | South Africa vs DR Congo | 0-0 (South Africa win 6-5 on pens) |
Final: Feb. 11, 2024
| 3 p.m. / 8 p.m. | Nigeria vs Ivory Coast | SABC Sport / BBC / Sling / Fubo / Sky Sports / Kayo |
AFCON 2023 News
Saturday's third-place play-off between South Africa and DR Congo finished goalless, delivering another penalty shootout in a tournament dominated by spot-kicks.
Thanks largely to penalty-saving specialist Ronwen Williams in goal, South Africa emerged victorious 6-5 in the 12-yard lottery, Bafana Bafana make AFCON history after their third shootout in a row.
DR Congo had the chance to win it, but captain Chancel Mbemba saw Williams save his effort that would have secured third place for the Leopards. Williams later saved from Meshack Elia to give the South Africans third place.
AFCON 2023 Groups
Hosts Ivory Coast squeezed through Group A but only after relying on other results having lost their final 4-0 to Equatorial Guinea, who surprised all by finishing top with seven points. Nigeria qualified in second place, though the Super Eagles are yet to truly take flight.
Despite having in-form West Ham forward Mohamed Kudus and Iñaki Williams of Athletic Bilbao, Ghana threw away qualification from Group B with a late capitulation against Mozambique, who are also out. Egypt are through with three draws, while the brilliant Cape Verde topped the group.
Defending champions Senegal topped Group C on nine points, with captain Sadio Mane inspired to deliver the Lions of Teranga's second AFCON crown. Cameroon – who dropped Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana for their last group game – improving to second after a slow start. Guinea also made it through as one of the best third-placed teams.
Algeria were Group D favorites but endured a miserable campaign to finish bottom of the group, with captain Riyad Mahrez dropped for their 1-0 humbling of Mauritania that confirmed their exit. Underdogs Mauritania, in a tournament where David is a regular conqueror of Goliath, finished third to progress, along with Angola and Burkina Faso.
Tunisia, Mali, South Africa, Namibia in Group E was predicted to be the most even of pools in the opening round, and so it proved. South Africa and Namibia could only be separated by head-to-head, the former finishing second and the latter third to qualify as one of the best of the rest. Mali topped the group, with Tunisia making a surprise early exit.
In Group F, Morocco have continued to use their World Cup form in which they reached the semi-finals as impetus for a second AFCON trophy. The Atlas Lions topped the group on seven points, ahead of DR Congo.
| Header Cell - Column 0 | PLAYED | GD | POINTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equatorial Guinea | 3 | 6 | 7 |
| Nigeria | 3 | 2 | 7 |
| Ivory Coast | 3 | -3 | 3 |
| Guinea-Bissau | 3 | -5 | 0 |
| Header Cell - Column 0 | PLAYED | GD | POINTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Verde | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| Egypt | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Ghana | 3 | -1 | 2 |
| Mozambique | 3 | -3 | 2 |
| Header Cell - Column 0 | PLAYED | GD | POINTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senegal | 3 | 7 | 9 |
| Cameroon | 3 | -1 | 4 |
| Guinea | 3 | -1 | 4 |
| Gambia | 3 | -5 | 0 |
| Header Cell - Column 0 | PLAYED | GD | POINTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Angola | 3 | 3 | 7 |
| Burkina Faso | 3 | -1 | 4 |
| Mauritania | 3 | -1 | 3 |
| Algeria | 3 | -1 | 2 |
| Header Cell - Column 0 | PLAYED | GD | POINTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mali | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| South Africa | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| Namibia | 3 | -3 | 4 |
| Tunisia | 3 | -1 | 2 |
| Header Cell - Column 0 | PLAYED | GD | POINTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morocco | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| DR Congo | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Zambia | 3 | -1 | 2 |
| Tanzania | 3 | -3 | 2 |
All the latest AFCON 2023 news
AFCON 2023 key details
The best AFCON 2023 players to look out for
Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen will feature in AFCON 2023 as the continent's newly crowned Footballer of the Year. After helping end Napoli's 33-year wait for a Serie A title, the 24-year-old forward received the CAF award in mid-December to honor the 26 league goals he plundered as the Little Donkeys claimed a famous Scudetto. The first Nigerian to scoop the award since Arsenal's Nwankwo Kanu in 1999, Osimhen will be desperate to fire the Super Eagles to a fourth AFCON crown and first in a decade.
Achraf Hakimi laid on an assist in Morocco's final win of qualifying, a 3-0 defeat of LIberia in October, and will again a major part of the Atlas Lions' attacking intent. Born in Madrid, Spain, the PSG right-back came through the ranks at Real Madrid but it's in the French capital that he's evolved into one of the finest full-backs in the world. He was voted into the CAF Team of the Year at the recent continental awards.
It may have been a testing couple of seasons since Sadio Mane lifted Senegal's first AFCON crown in 2022, but the former Liverpool forward loves nothing more than representing his country. Following a disappointing spell at Bayern Munich, the 31-year-old is now a team-mate of Cristiano Ronaldo's at Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia and won the 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup. Compatriot Nico Jackson, meanwhile, is also enduring a tricky moment. The Chelsea forward was booed off the pitch by his own fans in the Blues' 2-1 defeat to Wolves on Christmas Eve.
If it's a younger up-and-coming player you're looking to get behind, then Morocco midfielder Azzedine Ounahi is as good a choice as any. The Marseille playmaker is still on 23 and his sumptuous technique and eye for a pass have been lighting up Ligue 1 for a number of seasons now.
Is there a new match ball for AFCON 2023?
There is, and it's a tasty-looking number from Puma. The German sportswear manufacturer has taken over sponsorship duties for AFCON 2023 from Umbro.
Called the Puma Pokou, in homage to legendary Ivorian footballer Laurent Pokou, who scored an AFCON record five goals in one game in the 1970 tournament, it incorporates the colors of the Ivorian flag and features an intricate selection of panels to help maintain a true flight.
Who is the mascot for AFCON 2023?
With the Ivory Coast so synonymous with elephants, it's little surprise that the AFCON 2023 mascot is an anthropomorphic trunk-heavy mammal called Akwaba.
The emblem represents the country's iconic pachyderm, while its name is "a word derived from a local Ivorian language meaning 'welcome'" according to the official blurb.
It follows the tradition of past mascots that tend to feature the host country's most famous animal or landmark – from lions to pharaohs – dressed up the national colors. The only exception was Senegal's Diambar in 1992, a lion (good) with the body of an Adidas Tango football (weird) giving a thumbs up (unnecessary).
What is the official song for AFCON 2023?
Also called Akwaba (who doesn't love a bit of continuity between mascots and ditties?), the official song for AFCON 2023 is an upbeat pop banger sure to quicken pulses and raise interest in the tournament.
Put together by famous Ivorian artpop quartet Magic System, award-winning Afrobeats singer Yemi Alade from Nigeria and Egyptian singer Mohamed Ramadan – with Dany Synthe on production duty under the Universal Music Africa label – the song has an uplifting message of togetherness, hope and the welcome that the African continent is sure to receive in capital Abidjan and beyond.
It's a great listen and well worth 3 minutes, 39 seconds of your time.
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