AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS 2021 (2022) TOURNAMENTS FIXTURES, UPDATES & ALL THE DETAILS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CAMEROON 2021

2021 AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS TOURNAMENT DETAILS:

HOST COUNTRY:CameroonDATES: 9th January to 6th February, 2022

TEAMS: 24 (from 1 confederation)VENUES: 6 (in 5 Host Cities)DEFENDING CHAMPIONS: Algeria are the defending champions, having won the 2019 edition.

The 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (also referred to as AFCON 2021 or CAN 2021), known as the TotalEnergies 2021 Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship reasons, is scheduled to be the 33rd edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the biennial international men’s football championship of Africa organised by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The tournament is scheduled to be hosted by Cameroon and will take place from 9th January to 6 February 2022.

The tournament was originally scheduled to be played in June and July 2021 but the CAF announced on 15th January, 2020 that due to unfavourable climatic conditions during this period, the tournament would take place from 9th January to 6 February 2022. On 30 June 2020, the CAF moved the tournament for the second time to January 2021 following the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic across the continent, whilst retaining the name 2021 Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship purposes.

TOURNAMENT FORMAT:
A total of 24 teams will compete in the final tournament. Only the hosts received an automatic qualification spot, with the other 23 teams qualifying through a qualification tournament. At the finals, the 24 teams were drawn into six groups of four teams each. The teams in each group play a single round robin. After the group stage, the top two teams from each group and the four highest ranked third-placed teams will advance to the round of 16.The round of 16 winners will advance to the quarter-finals and the quarter-final winners will advance to the semi-finals. The semi-final losers will play in a third place match, while the semi-final winners will contest the final.

MATCH BALL:
The official match ball, named TOGHU, was unveiled on 23 November 2021.

MATCH OFFICIALS:
The following referees were chosen for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.

REFEREES:
Algeria: Mustapha GhorbalAngola: Hélder Martins Rodrigues de CarvalhoBotswana: Joshua BondoBurundi: Pacifique NdabihawenimanaCameroon: Blaise Yuven NgwaEgypt: Mahmoud El BanaEgypt: Amin OmarEthiopia: Bamlak Tessema WeyesaGhana : Daniel Nili LaryeaThe Gambia: Bakary GassamaKenya: Peter WaweruMadagascar: Andofetra RakotojaonaMali: Boubou TraoreMauritania: Beida DahaneMauritius: Ahmad Imetehaz HeeralallMorocco: Rédouane JiyedDR Congo: Jean Jacques Ndala NgamboRwanda: Salima MukansangaSenegal: Maguette NdiayeSenegal: Issa SySeychelles: Bernard CamilleSouth Africa: Victor GomesTunisia: Sadok SelmiLiberia: Ismail ElfathZambia: Janny Sikazwe

ASSISTANT REFEREES:

Algeria: Abdelhak EtchialiAlgeria: Mokrane GourariAngola: Jerson Emiliano Dos SantosBurkina Faso: Seydou TiamaCameroon: Nguegoue Elvis Guy NoupueCameroon: Atezambong Fomo CarineChad: Issa YayaComoros: Soulaimane AlmadineEgypt: Tahssen Abo El SadatEgypt: Abouelregal MahmoudEgypt: Ahmed Hossam TahaGuinea: Sidibe SidikiDjibouti: Liban Abdourazak AhmedKenya: Gilbert CheruiyotLesotho Souru PhatsoaneLibya: Attia AmsaaedMadagascar: Lionel AndrianantenainaMorocco: Azgaou LahcenMorocco: Zakaria BrinsiMorocco: Mustapha AkarkadMorocco: Jermoumi FatihaMozambique: Arsenio MaringulaNiger: Mahamadou YahayaNigeria: Samuel PwadutakamDR Congo: Oliver SafariSenegal: Djibril CamaraSenegal: El Hadj Malick SambaSeychelles: James Fredrick EmileSouth Africa: Zakhele Thusi SiwelaSudan: Ibrahim Abdalla MohamedTunisia: Hassani KhalilTunisia: Anouar HmilaUganda: Dick Okello

VIDEO ASSISTANT REFEREES:

France: Benoît MillotAlgeria: Lahlou BenbrahamAlgeria: Abid Charef MehdiCanada: Drew FischerEgypt: Mahmoud Mohamed AshourMorocco: Samir GuezzazMorocco: Adil ZourakMorocco: Bouchra KarboubiTunisia: Haythem Guirat

GROUP STAGE FIXTURES

NB: The top two teams of each group, along with the best four third-placed teams, advance to the round of 16.

TIEBREAKING:
Teams are ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss), and if tied on points, the following tiebreaking criteria are applied, in the order given, to determine the rankings (Regulations Article 74):
Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams;Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams;Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;If more than two teams are tied, and after applying all head-to-head criteria above, a subset of teams is still tied, all head-to-head criteria above are applied exclusively to this subset of teams;Goal difference in all group matches;Goals scored in all group matches;Drawing of lots.

*2021 AFCON GROUP STAGE GAMES:*

_All Time Are In Our Local Time_
*GROUP A* Cameroon (Host)  Burkina Faso Ethiopia Cape VerdeFirst match(es) will be played on 9th January 2022.
9th January 20224:00pm Cameroon v Burkina FasoOlembe Stadium, Yaoundé
9th January 20227:00pm Ethiopia v Cape VerdeOlembe Stadium, Yaoundé
13th January 20224:00 Cameroon v EthiopiaOlembe Stadium, Yaoundé
13th January 20227:00 Cape Verde v Burkina FasoOlembe Stadium, Yaoundé
17th January 20224:00 Cape Verde v CameroonOlembe Stadium, Yaoundé
17th January 20224:00 Burkina Faso v EthiopiaKouekong Stadium, Bafoussam
*GROUP B* Senegal Zimbabwe Guinea MalawiFirst match will be played on 10 January 2022.
10th January 2022 1:00 Senegal v ZimbabweKouekong Stadium, Bafoussam
10th January 20224:00 Guinea v MalawiKouekong Stadium, Bafoussam
14th January 20221:00 Senegal v GuineaKouekong Stadium, Bafoussam
14 January 20224:00 Malawi v ZimbabweKouekong Stadium, Bafoussam
18 January 20224:00 Malawi v SenegalKouekong Stadium, Bafoussam
18th January 20224:00 Zimbabwe v GuineaStade Ahmadou Ahidjo, Yaoundé
GROUP C Morocco Ghana Comoros GabonFirst match(es) will be played on 10 January 2022.
10th January 20224:00 Morocco v GhanaStade Ahmadou Ahidjo, Yaoundé
10th January 20227:00 Comoros v GabonStade Ahmadou Ahidjo, Yaoundé
14th January 20224:00 Morocco v ComorosStade Ahmadou Ahidjo, Yaoundé
14th January 20227:00 Gabon v GhanaStade Ahmadou Ahidjo, Yaoundé
18th January 20227:00 Gabon v MoroccoStade Ahmadou Ahidjo, Yaoundé
18th January 20227:00 Ghana v ComorosRoumdé Adjia Stadium, Garoua
GROUP D Nigeria Egypt Sudan Guinea-BissauFirst match will be played on 11th January 2022. 11th January 20224:00 Nigeria v EgyptRoumdé Adjia Stadium, Garoua
11th January 20227:00 Sudan v Guinea-BissauRoumdé Adjia Stadium, Garoua
15th January 2022 4:00 Nigeria v SudanRoumdé Adjia Stadium, Garoua
15th January 20227:00 Guinea-Bissau v EgyptRoumdé Adjia Stadium, Garoua
19th January 20227:00 Guinea-Bissau v NigeriaRoumdé Adjia Stadium, Garoua
19th January 20227:00 Egypt v SudanStade Ahmadou Ahidjo, Yaoundé
GROUP E Algeria Sierra Leone Equatorial Guinea Ivory Coast First match(es) will be played on 11 January 2022.
11th January 20221:00 Algeria v Sierra LeoneJapoma Stadium, Douala
12th January 20227:00 Equatorial Guinea v Ivory CoastJapoma Stadium, Douala
16th January 20224:00 Ivory Coast v Sierra LeoneJapoma Stadium, Douala
16th January 20227:00 Algeria v Equatorial GuineaJapoma Stadium, Douala
20 January 20224:00 Ivory Coast v AlgeriaJapoma Stadium, Douala
20th January 20224:00 Sierra Leone v Equatorial GuineaLimbe Stadium, Limbe
GROUP F Tunisia Mali Mauritania GambiaFirst match(es) will be played on 12 January 2022.
12th January 202214:00 Tunisia v MaliLimbe Stadium, Limbe
12th January 20224:00 Mauritania v GambiaLimbe Stadium, Limbe
16th January 20221:00 Gambia v MaliLimbe Stadium, Limbe
16th January 20224:00 Tunisia v MauritaniaLimbe Stadium, Limbe
20th January 20227:00 Gambia v TunisiaLimbe Stadium, Limbe
20th January 20227:00 Mali v MauritaniaJapoma Stadium, Douala

*KNOCKOUT STAGE*Combinations of matches in the Round of 16. The specific match-ups involving the third-placed teams depended on which four third-placed teams qualified for the round of 16:
*ROUND OF 16 PARINGS:*R16 Match 1:23rd January 20224:00 Runner-up Group A v Runner-up Group CLimbe Stadium, Limbe
*R16 Match 2:*23rd January 20227:00 Winner Group D v 3rd Group B/E/FRoumdé Adjia Stadium, Garoua
*R16 Match 4:*24th January 20224:00 Runner-up Group B v Runner-up Group FKouekong Stadium, Bafoussam
*R16 Match 3:*24th January 20227:00 Winner Group A v 3rd Group C/D/EOlembe Stadium, Yaoundé
*R16 Match 5:*25th January 20224:00 Winner Group B v 3rd Group A/C/DKouekong Stadium, Bafoussam
*R16 Match 6:*25th January 20227:00 Winner Group C v 3rd Group A/B/FAhmadou Ahidjo Stadium, Yaoundé
*R16 Match 7:*26th January 20224:00 Winner Group E v Runner-up Group DJapoma Stadium, Douala
*R16 Match 8:*26th January 20227:00 Winner Group F v Runner-up Group ELimbe Stadium, Limbe

*QUARTER-FINALS PARINGS*Quarter-Final B29th January 20224:00 Winner R16-M4 v Winner R16-M3Japoma Stadium, Douala
*Quarter-Final A*29th January 20227:00 Winner R16-M1 v Winner R16-M2Roumdé Adjia Stadium, Garoua
*Quarter-Final C*30th January 20224:00 Winner R16-M7 v Winner R16-M6Olembe Stadium, Yaoundé
*Quarter-Final D*30th January 20227:00 Winner R16-M5 v Winner R16-M8Japoma Stadium, Douala
*SEMI-FINALS*Semi-final 12rd February 20227:00 Winner QF A v Winner QF DJapoma Stadium, Douala
*Semi-final 2*3rd February 20227:00 Winner QF B v Winner QF COlembe Stadium, Yaoundé
*THIRD PLACE MATCH*6th February 202217:00 Loser SF1 v Loser SF2Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium, Yaoundé
*FINALS*6th February 20227:00 Winner SF1 v Winner SF2Olembe Stadium, Yaoundé
*Who wins the trophy?*
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