Africa Cup of Nations 2022 Competition kick off, fixtures and Covid entry rules

The 33rd AFCON will take place from 9 January to 6 February 2022 in Cameroon.

The tournament was originally scheduled to be played in June and July 2021 but the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced the postponement till January due to “unfavorable climatic conditions”.

Host nation Cameroon are due to face Burkina Faso in the opening match while reigning champions Algeria get their defence of the trophy against Sierra Leon.

The announcement comes after the Premier League revealed last week the 2020/21 season would start on September 12 and run until May 23, 2021.

The opening stages of the AFCON is divided up in groups before entering a straight knockout format.

There are six group of four nations in total.

Here are the fixtures for the opening stages of the 2021 AFCON:

• Cameroon v Burkina Faso (09/01/2022)
• Ethiopia v Cape Verde (09/01/2022)
• Senegal v Zimbabwe (10/01/2022)
• Guinea v Malawi (10/01/202)
• Morocco v Ghana (10/01/2022)
• Comoros v Gabon (10/01/2022)
• Algeria v Sierra Leone (11/01/2022)
• Nigeria v Egypt (11/01/2022)
• Sudan v Guinea-Bissau (11/01/2022)
• Tunisia v Mali (12/01/2022)
• Mauritania v Gambia (12/01/2022)
• Equatorial Guinea v Ivory Coast (12/01/2022)
• Cameroon v Ethiopia (13/01/2022)
• Cape Verde v Burkina Faso (13/01/2022)
• Senegal v Guinea (14/01/2022)
• Malawi v Zimbabwe (14/01/2022)
• Morocco v Comoros (14/01/2022)
• Gabon v Ghana (14/01/2022)
• Nigeria v Sudan (15/01/2022)
• Guinea-Bissau v Egypt (15/01/2022)
• Gambia v Mali (16/01/2022)
• Ivory Coast v Sierra Leone (16/01/2022)
• Tunisia v Mauritania (16/01/2022)
• Algeria v Equatorial Guinea (16/01/2022)
• Burkina Faso v Ethiopia (17/01/2022)
• Cape Verde v Cameroon (17/01/2022)
• Zimbabwe v Guinea (18/01/2022)
• Malawi v Senegal (18/01/2022)
• Ghana v Comoros (18/01/2022)
• Gabon v Morocco (18/01/2022)
• Egypt v Sudan (19/01/2022)
• Guinea-Bissau v Nigeria (19/01/2022)
• Sierra Leone v Equatorial Guinea (20/01/2022)
• Ivory Coast v Algeria (20/01/2022)
• Mali v Mauritania (20/01/2022)
• Gambia v Tunisia (20/01/2022)

2022 WORLD CUP

FIFA has confirmed the initial schedule for the 2022 winter World Cup in Qatar.