Andre Ayew’s penalty in the 79th minute pushed Ghana into the semifinal round ( ISSOUF SANOGO/AFP/Getty)
On Saturday, January 14, the 31st edition of the Total Africa Cup of Nations gets underway in Gabon. The hosts, led by Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, will play the first match of the event as they take on Guinea-Bissau. Joining Gabon and Guinea-Bissau in Group A are Cameroon and Burkina Faso, with those teams meeting in the second match of the opening day.
The group stage of the event runs from January 14-25, with the top two finishers in each group advancing to the knockout stage. The knockout stage begins with the quarterfinals January 28 and 29, with the two semifinals set for February 1 and 1. The third-place match will be played February 4, with the final being scheduled for February 5. Most bookmakers list Cote d’Ivoire as the pre-tournament favorites, with Les Éléphants being the reigning champions of the Africa Cup of Nations.
Other sides to keep an eye on include Ghana, Senegal, Algeria and the hosts Gabon. Below are the group stage fixtures for the Africa Cup of Nations, with all times being Eastern. Results will be updated throughout the tournament, and group standings will be added as well.
Group Stage Fixtures
Group A
Burkina Faso 1-2-0 5 points
Cameroon 1-2-0 5 points
Gabon 0-3-0 3 points
Guinea-Bissau 0-1-2 1 point
January 14: Gabon 1, Guinea-Bissau 1
GOALS: Aubameyang (Gabon, 52′), Juary (Guinea-Bissau, 90+1)
BOOKINGS: Obiang (Gabon, 66′), Soares (Guinea-Bissau, 76′)
January 14: Cameroon 1, Burkina Faso 1
GOALS: Moukandjo (Cameroon, 35′), Dayo (Burkina Faso, 75′)
BOOKINGS: Mabouka (Cameroon, 15′), Moukandjo (Cameroon, 56′), Mandjeck (Cameroon, 63′), Diawara (Burkina Faso, 86′), Ngadeu (Cameroon, 89′)
January 18: Gabon 1, Burkina Faso 1
GOALS: Nakoulma (Burkina Faso, 23′), Aubameyang (Gabon, 38′ penalty)
BOOKINGS: Koffi (Burkina Faso, 37′)
January 18: Cameroon 2, Guinea-Bissau 1
GOALS: Piqueti (Guinea-Bissau, 13′), Siani (Cameroon, 61′), Ngadeu (Cameroon, 78′)
BOOKINGS: Mandjeck (Cameroon, 22′), Juary (Guinea-Bissau, 30′)
January 22: Guinea-Bissau 0, Burkina Faso 2
GOALS: Rudinilson (Guinea-Bissau, 12′ OWN GOAL), Traore (Burkina Faso, 58′)
BOOKINGS: Razack (Burkina Faso, 7′), Kabouré (Burkina Faso, 45 + 1′), Juary (Guinea-Bissau, 80′)
January 22: Cameroon 0, Gabon 0
GOALS: None
BOOKINGS: Siani (Cameroon, 18′)
Group B
Senegal 2-1-0 7 points
Tunisia 2-0-1 6 points
Algeria 0-2-1 2 points
Zimbabwe 0-1-2 1 point
January 15: Algeria 2, Zimbabwe 2
GOALS: Mahrez (Algeria, 12′), Mahachi (Zimbabwe, 17′), Mushekwi (Zimbabwe, 29′ penalty), Mahrez (Algeria, 82′)
BOOKINGS: Belkhiter (Algeria, 28′), Rusike (Zimbabwe, 37′)
January 15: Tunisia 0, Senegal 2
GOALS: Mané (Senegal, 10′ penalty), Kara (Senegal, 30′)
BOOKINGS: Abdennour (Tunisia, 9′), Mbengue (Senegal, 36′), Kalidou (Senegal, 41′)
January 19: Algeria 1, Tunisia, 2
GOALS: Mandi (Algeria 50′ own goal), Sliti (Tunisia, 66′ penalty), Hanni (Algeria, 90 + 1′)
BOOKINGS: Guédioura (Algeria, 14′), Meftah (Algeria, 28′), Maȃloul (Tunisia, 45 + 2′), Ghoulam (Algeria 64′)
January 19: Senegal 2, Zimbabwe 0
GOALS: Mané (Senegal, 9′), Saivet (Senegal, 13′)
BOOKINGS: Kouyate (Senegal, 31′), Gassama (Senegal, 57′), Malajila (Zimbabwe, 89′)
January 23: Zimbabwe 2, Tunisia 4
GOALS: Sliti (Tunisia, 10′), Msakni (Tunisia, 22′), Khenissi (Tunisia, 36′), Musona (Zimbabwe, 43′), Khazri (Tunisia, 45′ penalty), Ndoro (Zimbabwe, 58′)
BOOKINGS: Phiri (Zimbabwe, 9′), Ben Amor (Tunisia, 33′), Naguez (Tunisia, 85′)
January 23: Senegal 2, Algeria 2
GOALS: Slimani (Algeria, 10′), Diop (Senegal, 44′), Slimani (Algeria, 52′), Sow (Senegal, 55′)
BOOKINGS: Bentaleb (Algeria, 39′), Cadamuro (Algeria, 58′), Diedhiou (Senegal, 74′)
Group C
DR Congo 2-1-0 7 points
Morocco 2-0-1 6 points
Cote D’Ivoire 0-2-1 2 points
Togo 0-1-2 1 point
January 16: Cote d’Ivoire 0, Togo 0
GOALS: None
BOOKINGS: None
January 16: DR Congo 1, Morocoo 0
GOALS: Kage (DR Congo, 55′)
BOOKINGS: N’Sakala (DR Congo, 48′), Lomalisa (DR Congo, 74′), Da Costa (Morocco, 68′), Lomalisa (DR Congo, 81′ SECOND YELLOW)
January 20: Cote d’Ivoire 2, DR Congo 2
GOALS: Kebano (DR Congo, 10′), Bony (Cote D’Ivoire, 26′), Kabananga (DR Congo, 28′), Serey Dié (Cote D’Ivoire, 67′)
BOOKINGS: Kessie (Cote D’Ivoire, 65′)
January 20: Morocco 3, Togo 1
GOALS: Dossevi (Togo, 5′), Bouhaddouz (Morocco, 14′), Saïss (Morocco, 21′), En-Nesyri (Morocco, 72′)
BOOKINGS: Boussoufa (Morocco, 56′), Ayite (Togo, 83′)
January 24: Morocco 1, Cote d’Ivoire 0
GOALS: Alioui (Morocco, 64′)
BOOKINGS: Benatia (Morocco, 30′), Bailly (Cote d’Ivoire, 58′), Zaha (Cote d’Ivoire, 70′), El Ahmadi (Morocco, 82′), El Kajoui (Morocco, 87′)
January 24: Togo 1, DR Congo 3
GOALS: Kabananga (DR Congo, 29′), Mubele (DR Congo, 54′), Laba (Togo, 69′), Mpoku (DR Congo, 80′)
BOOKINGS: Matampi (DR Congo, 90 + 4′)
Group D
Egypt 2-1-0 7 points
Ghana 2-0-1 6 points
Mali 0-2-1 2 points
Uganda 0-1-2 1 point
January 17: Ghana 1, Uganda 0
GOALS: A. Ayew (Ghana, 32′ penalty)
BOOKINGS: Isinde (Uganda, 31′)
January 17: Mali 0, Egypt 0
GOALS: None
BOOKINGS: Salah (Egypt, 67′), Sow (Mali, 88′)
January 21: Ghana 1, Mali 0
GOALS: Gyan (Ghana, 20′)
BOOKINGS: Gyan (Gnana, 82′)
January 21: Egypt 1, Uganda 0
GOALS: El Said (Egypt, 89′)
BOOKINGS: Hamed (Egypt, 24′)
January 25: Egypt 1, Ghana 0
GOALS: Salah (Egypt, 11′)
BOOKINGS: Marwan Mohsen (Egypt, 56′), Trezeguet (Egypt, 74′), Tekpetey (Ghana, 79′), Boye (Ghana, 80′)
January 25: Uganda 1, Mali 1
GOALS: Miya (Uganda, 70′), Bissouma (Mali, 73′)
BOOKINGS: Juuko (Uganda, 43′), Odongkara (Uganda, 79′)
Quarterfinal Matchups
January 28: Burkina Faso 2, Tunisia 0
GOALS: Bancé (Burkina Faso, 80′), Nakoulma (Burkina Faso, 84′)
BOOKINGS: Kabore (Burkina Faso, 19′), Abdennour (Tunisia, 22′), Yakoubi (Tunisia, 34′), Ben Youssef (Tunisia, 38′), Coulibaly (Burkina Faso, 67′), Touré Blati (Burkina Faso, 83′), Nakoulma (Burkina Faso, 85′)
January 28: Senegal 0, Cameroon 0 Cameroon win 5-4 on penalties
GOALS: None
BOOKINGS: Mamé Diouf (Senegal, 13′), Oyongo (Cameroon, 25′), Faï (Cameroon, 59′), Djoum (Cameroon, 82′), Kouyate (Senegal 90 + 3′)
January 29: DR Congo 1, Ghana 2
GOALS: J. Ayew (Ghana, 63′), Mpoku (DR Congo, 68′), A. Ayew (Ghana, 78′ penalty)
BOOKINGS: Mulumbu (DR Congo, 16′), Wakaso Jr. (Ghana, 58′), Lomalisa (DR Congo, 60′), Tisserand (DR Congo, 62′), Amartey (Ghana, 74′)
January 29: Egypt 1, Morocco 0
GOALS: Kahraba (Egypt, 88′)
BOOKINGS: Tarek Hamed (Egypt, 15′), Kahraba (Egypt, 74′)
Semifinal Matchups
February 1: Burkina Faso vs. Egypt, 2:00 p.m. Eastern
February 2: Cameroon vs. Ghana, 2:00 p.m. Eastern
