2023 Africa Cup of Nations starts today

The 34th Africa Cup of Nations kicks off today, hosted by Ivory Coast. Originally scheduled for last summer, the tournament was postponed to winter due to weather conditions. This has posed challenges for many clubs, including top European teams, who had to release their players at the start of the second half of their national championships.

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The opening match of the tournament will take place at the Olympic Stadium in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, where the hosts will face Guinea-Bissau. The match is set to begin at 21:00 Central European Time.

The tournament will run until February 11 and will be held across six stadiums in five cities, with the final taking place at the same arena used for the opening match.

This time, the tournament format has been altered, with 24 national teams competing for the trophy. The teams are divided into six groups of four. The top two teams from each group, along with the four best third-placed teams, will advance to the Round of 16.

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Senegal, the defending champion, is considered the favorite by many bookmakers to win the title. Egypt and Nigeria hold the second and third positions, respectively, in this list.