How to watch AFCON 2022: Dates, TV channels, streams, expert betting tips & picks

The 2022 Africa Cup of Nations will prove to be an entertaining combination of strong teams, top-tier players and tasty matchups throughout January and into early February.

The 33rd edition of the tournament was delayed from the summer of 2021 and is now ready to finally begin. The tournament will be hosted by Cameroon with a total of 52 games to be played in 29 days.

Favorites to win the competition include the top-ranked African team in Senegal, ranked 20th in the latest FIFA rankings, as well as defending champions Algeria, star-studded Egypt and a highly experienced team from Morocco. Among the 24 qualified teams there are 10 former winners of the event. There are also two newcomers in the collection, with Comoros and Gambia competing in their first AFCON tournament.

Below is all the information you need for the competition, including how to watch, a tournament schedule, and favorite bets.

How to watch AFCON 2022

• Date: Sunday, January 9 to Sunday, February 6
• Television channel: beIN Sports, beIN Sports XTRA
• Spanish television: beIN Sports in Spanish, XTRA in Spanish
• Transmission: fuboTV, beIN Sports Connect and other platforms
• YouTube TV (available only in the additional sports package), Sling TV (available only in the additional sports package for Sling Orange)

The month-long Africa Cup of Nations tournament will be available on beIN Sports (English) and beIN Sports en Español (Spanish) in the US and Canada. The free channel of the station beIN Sports XTRA will also broadcast some games.

Fans can access all beIN channels on fuboTV, which available to new users via free trial.

BeIN broadcasts are also available to users of Fanatiz and YouTube TV (sports package) and Sling TV (sports package for Sling Orange). And since beIN XTRA is free, it is available at a host of other streaming platforms including Roku and Pluto TV.

Key dates of the AFCON 2022 tournament

• Group stage, Round 1: Sunday, January 9 – Wednesday, January 12
• Group stage, Round 2: Thursday, January 13 – Sunday, January 16
• Group stage, Round 3: Monday, January 17 – Thursday, January 20
• Round of 16: Sunday, January 23 – Wednesday, January 26
• Quarter finals: Saturday January 29 – Sunday January 30
• Semifinals: Wednesday, February 2 – Thursday, February 3
• Final match and for 3rd place: Sunday, February 6

There is a similar cadence to that of the World Cup in this tournament with an intense period of 36 group stage matches to start, followed by eight days of knockout matches (14 matches) leading to the final day on Sunday 6 February. . Prior to the championship match there will be a match for 3rd place that will serve as an aperitif.

Betting favorites for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations

Among the 24 teams competing in the month-long tournament, there are obviously favorites and underdogs.

When deciding who to back, looking at recent World Cup qualifiers is a great place to see which teams are playing well and which have failed. Morocco was the only team to win all six games, although their group from Guinea-Bissau, Guinea and Sudan was less than challenging. AFCON host Cameroon, favorite Senegal and national team Mali finished with five wins out of six qualifiers, while Egypt and Algeria finished undefeated with four wins and two draws.

However, a team packed with fit players not mentioned above is Côte d’Ivoire. The Elephants finished second in World Cup qualifying Group D with a 4-1-1 record, falling only to group winners Cameroon with a 1-0 result that eliminated Ivory Coast and sent Cameroon to the final qualifying round for the World Cup.

Still, this is a nation that boasts incredible attacking talent. He is perhaps the fittest player in the world, scoring 10 goals in six Champions League group stage games for Ajax, and has the support of dribbling and wing masters as well as the Burnley winger. he was in good shape before a recent injury. The bottom line is battle-tested too, with a central defense. Bailly was destined to partner with the Wolves defender, but an injury forced him to retire from the team, meaning the 21-year-old Bayer Leverkusen starter will take over.

Finally, there is midfield, anchored by the partnership of and (pictured above), who are in good shape for their clubs Fulham and AC Milan. Add in the standout Eredivisie who had a stellar season for PSV Eindhoven, and there’s a lot to like about this side of the Elephants. They present a great combination of value and form.

If you are looking for a higher pick on the list, second seed Algeria is also a talented team, and could very well repeat as champion.

Ivory Coast to Win (+750)

Here are the top 10 projected teams to win it all before the tournament starts with odds courtesy of BetMGM:

Favorites for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations Top Scorer

Form is important to scorers heading into international competition and there are only three players who stand out from their recent stint at the club: Mohamed Salah, Riyad Mahrez and Sebastien Haller.

Salah has been in spectacular form at the club, scoring or assisting in 15 straight Premier League games, but he seemed to tire in the few matches just before leaving for AFCON. Haller has also been a scoring machine this season, with a staggering 10 goals in six Champions League group stage games with Ajax, plus another 12 in the Eredivisie in 17 appearances.

But neither of them are in particularly good scoring form with their respective teams, which is just as important. Haller has just eight caps to his name, and a double in a 2-1 win over Cameroon in September’s World Cup qualifying match represents two of his three international goals. Meanwhile, Salah has not scored for the national team since March, when he scored a double against the humble Comoros.

It is Riyad Mahrez who is in special shape for both the club and the country, which arguably sets him apart. Mahrez has been going strong at Manchester City of late, with four goals and three assists in his last four appearances. The 30-year-old has also been a central figure for the national team, scoring an impressive 11 goals in his last 11 games for Algeria since October 2020. Mahrez will be poised for a great tournament career with Algeria. , giving you the maximum number of games to get a winning total.

Riad Mahrez (+800)

These were the 15 players with the lowest odds of winning the top scorer award in AFCON 2022 heading into the tournament, courtesy of BetMGM: