Dem don confam di teams wey dey go Ivory Coast for di finals, but you sabi wen dem go play di 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) and how e go affect players and clubs for di Premier League and around di world?
For almost one month for January and February, some of di biggest stars for football go dey hope to win di biennial tournament wey di Confederation of African Football (Caf) organise.
Defending champions Senegal fit call on firepower like Al-Nassr striker, Sadio Mane and Chelsea newcomer Nicolas Jackson, while Egypt – di most successful team for Afcon history, wit seven titles – get Liverpool Mohamed Salah as dia captain.
Here na wetin you need know about di schedule, including di draw plus wen players fit dey absent from domestic competitions.
Wen be Afcon 2023?
Di 34th edition of Afcon go take place from 13 January to 11 February 2024.
Dis na di second time Ivory Coast go host di finals.
Dem originally schedule am to hold for June-July 2023, but dem later move di tournament sake of fear say e fit fall for rainy season.
Despite di fact say di tournament go now hold for 2024, e still keep 2023 as part of its official title.
Di opening match go feature di hosts, wey dia nickname na Elephants, against one of di Group A opponents dem dey play against.
Di top two teams plus di four best-ranked third-placed teams from di six initial groups go advance go di round of 16, wit quarter-finals, semi-finals, one match for third place and di final g o follow.
Di Alassane Ouattara Stadium for di Ivorian capital Abidjan will host the final on 11 February.
Which team don reach finals?
Dis Nations Cup go feature 24 nations for a third time, afta dem expand di competition for 2019.
Although Ivory Coast qualify automatically as dem be hosts, dem still take part for qualifying, dem finish second to Zambia for Group H. Those two nations dey joined by 22 teams wey also finish for di top two of dia final qualification groups.
All di teams wey dey take part bin don involve for at least one of di past two tournaments apart from Zambia, di 2012 champions, wey dey show for di first time since 2015, and Mozambique, wey dey make dia fifth appearance and first since 2010.
Central African Republic bin come close to di latest kontri to reach Afcon but dem miss out afta dem lose dia final fixture for Ghana.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Gabon na probably di biggest kontri to miss out, afta dem don feature for three of di last four finals.
Wen be di Afcon draw and how e take dey work?
Di Afcon draw go take place for Abidjan on 12 October at 1900 GMT.
Based on di latest Fifa world rankings, dem don allocate di 24 teams to four pots. Although Ivory Coast currently dey ranked as di ninth-best kontri for Africa, dem include dem for pot one.
POT ONE – Ivory Coast (*50), Morocco (13), Senegal (20), Tunisia (29), Algeria (34), Egypt (35)
POT TWO – Nigeria (40), Cameroon (41), Mali (49), Burkina Faso (58), Ghana (60), DR Congo (64)
POT THREE – South Africa (65), Cape Verde (71), Guinea (81), Zambia (82), Equatorial Guinea (92), Mauritania (99)
POT FOUR – Guinea-Bissau (106), Mozambique (113), Namibia (114), Angola (117), The Gambia (118), Tanzania (122).
Dem go draw di teams for inside six groups of four. Before di draw, dem go don already allocate di games for each group to one set location, although dis information go still need confirmation.
Dem go use six stadiums for five cities:
- Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan (capacity 60,000)
- Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium, Abidjan (capacity 33,000)
- Stade de la Paix, Bouake (capacity 40,000)
- Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium, Korhogo (capacity 20,000)
- Laurent Pokou Stadium, San Pedro (capacity 20,000)
- Charles Konan Banny Stadium, Yamoussoukro (capacity 20,000)
Normally na star-studded affairs, Caf dey always make sure to invite legends of African football past and present come dia draws.
Expect to see Ivorian heroes like Kolo and Yaya Toure in attendance, both of dem bin play as Elephants beat Ghana to claim a second Nations Cup title for dia kontri for 2015.
Wen Premier League stars fit comot?
Here na guide to di approximate matchdays and cup dates wey players fit miss, depending on how far dia kontri go for di Afcon, dis dey subject to scheduling changes and cup runs.
- Winter break: 15-28 January
- Potential final club match: Weekend of January 6/7 (FA Cup third round)
- Minimum number of matches missed: One (Premier League)
- Maximum number of matches missed: Eight (four Premier League, FA Cup fourth round, Carabao Cup semi-final first and second legs, Champions League last 16 first leg)
- Possible return date: 27 January (group stage exit), 4 February (last 16), 11 February (quarter-finals), 18 February (semi-finals or final)
What about Saudi Arabia and oda leagues?
Here na guide to approximate dates for Saudi Arabia plus di major European leagues.
Saudi Pro League
- Winter break: 29 December – 14 February
- Potential final club match: 28 December (Pro League)
- Minimum number of matches missed: None
- Maximum number of matches missed: Three (Saudi Super Cup semi-finals and final, Asian Champions League last 16 first leg). Sake of di winter break, players no go miss any Pro League matches
- Possible return date: Saudi Super Cup games for January (group stage exit), 17 February (knockout stage exit).
Spanish La Liga
- Winter break: 22 December – 1 January
- Potential final club match: Weekend of 6/7 January (Copa del Rey round of 32)
- Minimum number of matches missed: Two (La Liga)
- Maximum number of matches missed: Eleven (five La Liga, Copa del Rey last 16, quarter-final, semi-final first leg, Supercopa de Espana semi-final and final, Champions League last 16 first leg)
- Possible return date: 27 January (group stage exit), 4 February (last 16), 7 February (quarter-finals), 17 February (semi-finals or final)
Italian Serie A
- Winter break: None
- Potential final club match: Weekend of 6/7 January (Serie A)
- Minimum number of matches missed: Two (Serie A)
- Maximum number of matches missed: Eleven (Six Serie A, Supercoppa Italiana semi-finals and final, Coppa Italia last 16 and quarter-finals, Champions League last 16 first leg)
- Possible return date: 27 January (group stage exit), 4 February (last 16), 7 February (quarter-finals), 17 February (semi-finals or final)
French Ligue 1
- Winter break: 21 December – 13 January
- Potential final club match: Weekend of 6/7 January (Coupe de France last 32)
- Minimum number of matches missed: Two (Ligue 1)
- Maximum number of matches missed: Eight (Five Ligue 1, Coupe de France last 32 and last 16, Champions League last 16 first leg)
- Possible return date: 27 January (group stage exit), 4 February (last 16), 7 February (quarter-finals), 16 February (semi-finals or final)
German Bundesliga
- Winter break: 18 December – 11 January
- Potential final club match: Weekend of 16/17 December (Bundesliga)
- Minimum number of matches missed: Two (Bundesliga)
- Maximum number of matches missed: Seven (Five Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal quarter-finals, Champions League last 16 first leg)
- Possible return date: 27 January (group stage exit), 4 February (last 16), 7 February (quarter-finals), 16 February (semi-finals or final)
