IVORY COAST: ALL is set as the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals get underway in Ivory Coast today.
It is the 34th edition of the biggest football showpiece on the continent, with 24 teams wresting for the lucrative trophy. It is a journey that will last until February 11th this year when the world will know the new AFCON champions of the contest in case the incumbent holders Senegal fail to defend it.
Traditionally, a spectacular opening ceremony is scheduled before witnessing the first whistle being blown to signal its official start in the first match.
One of famous artists paraded to add colour and glamour to the opening ceremony is none other than Yemi Alade who is well-known in the music industry.
Aside from the Nigerian singer, others who have been honoured to perform are Magic System from Ivory Coast, Mohamed Ramadan from Egypt, Serge Beynoud and Josey Priscille all from Ivory Coast.
Immediately after the opening ceremony, the opening match of the competition takes centre stage involving hosts Ivory Coast versus Guinea-Bissau.
The game unfolds at Olympic Stadium of Ebimpé in Abidjan, as the duo battle for the first maximum points and the first player to score a goal in the competition.
Tomorrow, three matches will be played as Nigeria take on Equatorial Guinea, Egypt against Mozambique and Ghana against Cape Verde. However, millions of Tanzanians will be waiting to see their envoys Taifa Stars who launch the campaign with a tense fixture versus Morocco on Wednesday next week.
Thereafter, Adel Amrouche’s side will face Zambia on January 21st before battling DR Congo on January 24th in their last group F assignment.
Already, Tanzanians have a strong belief that this time, their team is destined to achieve a lot through stamping
new records.
