By Staff Reporter
The opening ceremony of the 34th Africa Cup of Nations took place in Côte d'Ivoire on Saturday January 13 at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in the commercial hub Abidjan.
The tournament will run until February 11 with the final match and presentation of the trophy to winners.
This is the first time Côte d'Ivoire is hosting the AFCON since 1984. President Alassane Ouattara also attended the opening ceremony.
The government of the country has invested about $1.5 billion in improving infrastructure and other preparations for the tournament.
The games are being played in six stadiums across five cities in the West African country.
Twenty-four countries from across Africa are participating in the competition with each bringing their rich cultures in addition to the football artistry.
The Africa Cup of Nations started in 1957 and has grown bigger and more colourful over the years.
The opening match was between Côte d'Ivoire and Guinea-Bissau with the hosts winning 2-0.
This edition of AFCON was initially supposed to take place in June and July 2023 in order to avoid a clash with the middle of the season in Europe, where so many leading African players are based.
However, fears over staging it during the rainy season led to the tournament –- which is the third edition to feature 24 teams - being pushed back to its more traditional January and February slot.
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