AFCON 2023 promises to be 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. Senegal will defend their title, with World Cup semi-finalists Morocco, hosts Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Nigeria and Mo Salah's Egypt all doing battle for the title of Africa's best — definitely not a tournament to be missed.
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 — CAF YouTube channel (Global)
► U.S. — beIN Sports via SlingTV, FuboTV or Fanatiz
► 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, 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 the quarter-finals, it's a straight knockout until the final at the 60,000-seater Alassane Ouattara Stadium on Sunday, February 11.
Hosts Ivory Coast gets the tournament underway on Saturday, January 13, against Guinea-Bissau.
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, plus info on the groups, song and even match ball.
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 the CAF YouTube channel.
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.
But what if you're usually based in the U.K. — or another country where the CAF YouTube channel is showing the matches — but 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 Brit who's currently in the U.S. could watch the AFCON 2023 live streams on the CAF YouTube channel, even though they're not in the U.K.
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 U.K. service, you'd select U.K. from the list.
3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to CAF's YouTube channel 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.
Can you watch AFCON 2023 live streams in the U.K.?
As yet, no deal has been done for the AFCON 2023 broadcast rights in the U.K., which means the CAF YouTube channel is the place to go for your live streams.
That said, it's not unusual for late deals to be done for the AFCON 2023 live streams. At the previous tournament, Sky Sports had the rights to the whole jamboree, with BBC Sport also showing the semi-finals and final.
Going on holiday this week or next? Sign up to ExpressVPN or another VPN service and you'll be able to use the services you already subscribe to.
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
Round of 16: Jan. 27-30, 2024
Quarter-Finals: Feb. 2-3, 2024
Semi-Finals: Feb. 7, 2024
Third-Place Playoff: Feb. 10, 2024
Final: Feb. 11, 2024
AFCON 2023 Groups
Hosts Ivory Coast can count on Premier League regulars Serge Aurier, Ibrahim Sangare and Simon Adingra, as well as former Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha but have been drawn with Nigeria in a tough-looking Group A. Napoli's Victor Osimhen is the Super Eagles' star, with Leicester's Kelechi Iheanacho, Samuel Chukwueze of AC Milan and Fulham winger Alex Iwobi all available.
Egypt and Ghana are drawn in Group B. Mo Salah is the Pharaohs' undoubted star and captain, but the side tends to be pragmatic and struggles to unlock the Liverpool forward's myriad talents, even as the record seven-time winners reached the 2022 final. Managed by former Brighton boss Chris Hughton, the Black Stars have in-form West Ham forward Mohamed Kudus and Iñaki Williams of Athletic Bilbao.
Defending champions Senegal are in Group C along with Cameroon, for whom Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana will leave Old Trafford behind. Senegal captain Sadio Mane will be inspired to deliver the Lions of Teranga's second AFCON crown.
Algeria lead the way in Group D, with captain Riyad Mahrez seeking to add to their 2019 title. Houssem Aouar of Roma has the talent to deliver that, too. Plenty will be looking at underdogs Mauritania to cause an upset, especially in a tournament where David is a regular conqueror of Goliath.
Tunisia, Mali, South Africa, Namibia in Group E is arguably the most even of pools in the opening round, with each country capable of taking points off the other. In Group F, Morocco will look to use its stunning run to the World Cup semi-finals as impetus for a second AFCON trophy. Achraf Hakimi stars in a defense that includes West Ham's Nayef Aguerd and Noussair Mazraoui of Bayern Munich, with Walid Regragui a superb coaching brain in the dugout.
AFCON 2023 News
All the latest AFCON 2023 news
Each of the six stadiums in Ivory Coast have been built ahead of schedule and the tournament is shaping up to be the biggest yet. The biggest problem in a relatively serene buildup to the tournament – moved to January 2024 to avoid the rainy season – has been the standard of the pitch at the Alassane Ouattara Olympic Stadium in capital Abidjan. The hosts' friendly with Mali had to be abandoned back in September after 45 minutes because of a heavy rain downpour.
Elsewhere, the draw for the AFCON 2023 group stages and knockout pathway proved to be a glittering ceremony overseen by Senegal-born rapper Akon. Famous for bangers such as Smack That and Locked Up, the singer-songwriter moved to Newark, New Jersey, with his family when he was seven and has since gone on to be a major star but he's never forgotten those Senegalese roots.
"This is amazing man," he said at the draw, helped by Didier Drogba and Jon Obi Mikel. "These are events that we need to promote because this is what gives Africa the recognition on the sport and entertainment side. These are actual jewels that we have."
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.
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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