Yaounde, 4 January 2022 (TDI): AFCON 2021 is set to be held in Cameroon from 9th January 2022- 6th, February 2022. AFCON is an acronym for African cup of nations. AFCON is a biennial continental international football tournament involving the national teams of Africa. It is organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
History of AFCON
Africa Cup of Nations also called the African Cup of Nations and African Nations Cup, is the most prestigious football (soccer) competition in Africa. It is contested by national teams and is organized by the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF).
The competition’s format has changed over time, with the number of teams increasing from 3 in 1957 to, after several expansions, 24 in 2019. Growing participation also led to the introduction of qualifying rounds in 1968, the same year that CAF decided to hold the tournament biennially.
The Africa Cup of Nations was first held in February 1957 in Khartoum, Sudan, where Egypt defeated the host nation in the final to win the Abdel Aziz Abdallah Salem Trophy. The Trophy was named after its donor, an Egyptian who was the first CAF President.
That trophy was permanently awarded to Ghana in 1978 when it became the first country to win the tournament three times. The next trophy, known as the African Unity Cup, was awarded permanently to Cameroon in 2000 when that team claimed its third championship since 1978. In 2002 a new trophy called the Cup of Nations was introduced.
AFCON 2021
The original dates of AFCON 2021 were scheduled to be held between January – February 2021. It was postponed because of the pandemic. It was shifted to June-July 2021. However, it could not be held due to what CAF called “unfavorable climatic conditions. The tournament will be held in Cameroon from 9th January- February 6, 2022. Cameroon is a four-time AFCON champion.
Teams Playing at AFCON 2021
24 teams are competing at the tournament. The team is separated into six groups of four. The groups are as follows:
- Group A: Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Ethiopia.
- Group B: Senegal, Zimbabwe, Guinea, Malawi
- Group C: Morocco, Ghana, Gabon, Comoros
- Group D: Egypt, Nigeria, Sudan, Guinea-Bissau
- Group E: Algeria, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Equatorial Guinea
- Group F: Tunisia, Mali, Gambia, Mauritania.
The top two teams from each group, along with the best four third-placed teams will advance to the last 16 knockout stages. From every indication, Cameroon is set to host the long-awaited 2021 AFCON.
