Explainer: Is it AFCON 2023 or AFCON 2024?

As football fans follow the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament with the final game to be held on Sunday, February 11 between Nigeria and Ivory Coast, there seems to be a small mixup on whether it is AFCON 2023 or 2024.

The ongoing competition is AFCON 2023 and there is an explanation for that. The tournament was to be held in June and July 2023 in Ivory Coast but the schedule changed to January 13 to February 11, 2024, to avoid the rainy season in the west African country.

“We cannot take the risk. January is not the ideal time because of the European clubs, but it is the only choice we have,” CAF President Patrice Motsepe announced.

How often is AFCON held?

According to Goal.com, the first AFCON football tournament was held in 1957 and subsequent tournaments were held at intervals of one, two, or three years but since 1968, AFCON has been constantly played after every two years until 2012.

South Africa hosted the competition in 2013 as the tournament was switched to odd years. After that, AFCON has been held every two years and the 2023 games in Ivory Coast make the 34th edition of the tournament.

Ivory Coast is hosting AFCON 2023 games, which started on 13 January and will end on February 11, 2024. This is the country’s second time to host the tournament.

Ivory Coast has shown impressive results even after it fired its coach for poor results at the start of the tournament. The team has surprised many AFCON enthusiasts with its ability to reach the finals which it will play on Sunday against Nigeria.

What is the prize money for AFCON 2023 winners?

The winner of the TotalEnergies AFCON 2023 will receive 7 million US dollars.

The runner-up will get 4 million US dollars. Each of the two semi-finalists will receive 2.5 million US dollars and each of the four quarter-finalists 1.3 million US dollars.

What surprises have been seen in AFCON 2023 games?

For starters, Ivory Coast has surprised many fans with its impressive campaign. The team fired its coach Jean-Louis Gasset at the beginning of the tournament after it lost 4-0 to Equatorial Guinea.

However, many have been surprised by the fact that talented teams like Egypt, Senegal, and Mali did not make it to the finals.