AFCON 2023 Guide: Aribo represents Nigeria
Southampton's Joe Aribo has travelled to Ivory Coast with Nigeria for the 2023 CAF Africa Cup of Nations. Here's your guide to the tournament and how to follow our midfielder in action...
THE TOURNAMENT
The 2023 edition of AFCON was initially meant to be played during the Northern Hemisphere's summer, hence the use of last year's date, but was postponed due to adverse summer weather concerns.
It's the 34th edition of the tournament and will be held in the Ivory Coast for the second time, across 5 host cities (Korhogo, Bouaké, Yamoussoukro, San-Pédro and Abidjan).
It all kicks off when the hosts face Guinea-Bissau in Group A on Saturday 13th January, the same group occupied by Aribo's Super Eagles.
The group stage fixtures will then take place up until Wednesday 24th January, with the round of 16 commencing on Saturday 27th January.
UK viewers can watch the tournament live on Sky Sports.
NIGERIA'S SCHEDULE
Nigeria's first outing comes on Sunday 14th January, facing Equatorial Guinea at Olympic Stadium of Ebimpé (2pm GMT).
Matchday two comes against hosts Ivory Coast on Thursday 18th January at the same venue (5pm GMT).
The final match of Group A sees a meeting with Guinea-Bissau on Monday 22nd January (5pm GMT).
Aribo and Nigeria will then be aiming for their first knockout game to be on Sunday January 28th, where Group A's winners face the best placed third place side from Groups C, D or E in the round of 16.
February 2nd and 3rd are the dates of the quarter-finals, with the semi-finals on Wednesday February 7th and the final on Sunday February 11th (8pm GMT).
