2019 Africa Cup of Nations

The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (also known as Total 2019 Africa Cup of Nations) is the 32nd edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the biennial international men's football championship of Africa organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The tournament is being hosted by Egypt. The competition is currently held from 21 June to 19 July 2019, as per the decision of the CAF Executive Committee on 20 July 2017 to move the Africa Cup of Nations from January/February to June/July for the first time. It will also be the first Africa Cup of Nations expanded from 16 to 24 teams.

The tournament was initially scheduled to be hosted by Cameroon. Cameroon would have hosted the competition for the first time since 1972. They were also the title holders after winning the previous edition. On 30 November 2018, Cameroon was stripped of hosting the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations due to delays in the delivery of infrastructure, the Boko Haram insurgency and the Anglophone Crisis. On 8 January 2019, Egypt was chosen by the CAF Executive Committee as the host nation of the competition. The tournament has also been moved from the original dates of 15 June – 13 July to 21 June – 19 July due to Ramadan.

Host selection
After the CAF Executive Committee meeting on 24 January 2014, it was announced that there were six official candidates for the 2019 edition:

Bids:
 * 🇩🇿 Algeria
 * 🇨🇲 Cameroon
 * Ivory Coast

Rejected Bids:
 * 🇬🇳 Guinea / 🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau / 🇱🇷 Liberia / 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone
 * 🇰🇪 Kenya / 🇺🇬 Uganda
 * 🇲🇼 Malawi / 🇿🇲 Zambia / 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
 * 🇳🇬 Nigeria
 * 🇸🇳 Senegal

This list was different from the list of the host nation bids for both the 2019 and 2021 edition of the Cup of Nations as announced by CAF in November 2013, with Gabon also on the original list, but Cameroon not on it. Among the six official candidates, Algeria, Guinea and Ivory Coast also bid for hosting the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.

The decision of the host country was postponed from early 2014 to grant each bidding country adequate time to receive the inspection delegation. After the final vote at the CAF Executive Committee meeting, on 20 September 2014, the CAF announced the hosts for the 2019, 2021 and 2023 AFCON tournaments: 2019 to Cameroon, 2021 to Ivory Coast, and 2023 to Guinea.

New bid process
It was expected that Cameroon will host this edition but it was sidelined by the CAF on 30 November 2018 in Accra, Ghana for non-compliance with the specifications. CAF announced that they would be receiving applications for the new hosts until 14 December 2018.

Bids:
 * 🇪🇬 Egypt
 * 🇿🇦 South Africa

The organization of the competition was finally awarded to Egypt on 8 January 2019 by the CAF Executive Committee meeting in Dakar, Senegal. Voters had a choice between two countries after Morocco's sports minister confirmed that his country was not interested in hosting: Egypt and South Africa.

North Africa will host the tournament for the first time in 13 years after being hosted by Egypt also in 2006. This is the fifth time that Egypt will host the African Cup after 1959, 1974, 1986 and the 2006 to become the country that has hosted it for the most times in the continent.

Qualification


Due to Morocco withdrawing from being hosts of the 2015 edition, CAF banned the national team of Morocco from entering the 2017 and 2019 Africa Cups of Nations. However, the ban was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, meaning Morocco, having qualified for this edition of the African Cup of Nations, can participate in the tournament.

Due to the withdrawal of Chad during 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification, they are banned from entering the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

Qualified teams
The following teams qualified for the tournament:

Venues
With the Africa Cup of Nations expanded from 16 to 24 teams, at least six venues were expected to be used.

After being awarded the bid, initially Egypt chose eight stadiums to host the tournament. On 17 February 2019, it was confirmed that only six stadiums will be used. The six venues are Cairo International Stadium and 30 June Stadium in Cairo, Alexandria Stadium in Alexandria, Suez Stadium in Suez, Ismailia Stadium in Ismailia and Al Masry Club Stadium in Port Said. However on 13 March 2019, Al Masry Club Stadium in Port Said was replaced by Al Salam Stadium in Cairo after discovering a problem with one of the stadium's main stands.

Match officials
The following referees were chosen for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

Referees

 * Mustapha Ghorbal
 * Helder Martins Rodrigues de Carvalho
 * Joshua Bondo
 * Pacifique Ndabihawenimana
 * Sidi Alioum
 * Gehad Grisha
 * Amin Omar
 * Ibrahim Nour El Din
 * Bamlak Tessema Weyesa
 * Bakary Gassama


 * Peter Waweru
 * Andofetra Rakotojaona
 * Mahamadou Keita
 * Beida Dahane
 * Ahmad Imetehaz Heeralall
 * Noureddine El Jaafari
 * Redouane Jiyed
 * Jean Jacques Ndala Ngambo


 * Louis Hakizimana
 * Maguette Ndiaye
 * Issa SY
 * Bernard Camille
 * Victor Gomes
 * Sadok Selmi
 * Youssef Essrayri
 * Guirat Hythem
 * Janny Sikazwe

Assistant referees

 * Mokrane Gourari
 * Abdelhak Etchiali
 * Jerson Emiliano Dos Santos
 * Seydou Tiama
 * Nguegoue Elvis Guy Noupue
 * Evarist Menkouande
 * Issa Yaya
 * Soulaimane Almadine
 * Tahssen Abo El Sadat
 * Abouelregal Mahmoud
 * Ahmed Hossam Taha


 * Tesfagiorghis Berhe
 * Samuel Temesgin
 * Sidibe Sidiki
 * Gilbert Cheruiyot
 * Souru Phatsoane
 * Attia Amsaaed
 * Lionel Andrianantenaiana
 * Azgaou Lahcen
 * Mustapha Akarkad
 * Arsenio Maringule
 * Mahamadou Yahaya


 * Baba Adel
 * Oliver Safari
 * El Hadji Malick Samba
 * Zakhele Thusi Siwela
 * Mohammed Ibrahim
 * Waleed Ahmed Ali
 * Yamen Mellouchi
 * Anouar Hmila
 * Mark Ssonko

Video assistant referees
The EFA announced the video assistant referees (VARs) will be introduced during the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, starting from the quarter-finals.

Squads
Each team can register a squad of 23 players (Regulations Article 72).

Format
Only the hosts will receive an automatic qualification spot, the other 23 teams will qualify through a qualification tournament. At the finals, the 24 teams will be drawn into six groups of four teams each. The teams in each group play a single round robin. After the group stage, the top two teams and the four best third-placed teams will advance to the round of 16. The winners will advance to the quarter-finals. The winners of the quarter-finals will advance to the semi-finals. The losers of the semi-finals will play in third place play-off, while winners of the semi-finals will play in final.

Draw
The draw took place on 12 April 2019, 20:00 CAT (UTC+2), facing the Sphinx and the Pyramids in Giza, Egypt. The 24 teams were drawn into six groups of four teams.

The draw procedure was approved by the CAF Executive Committee on 11 April 2019. For the draw, the teams were allocated to four pots based on the FIFA World Rankings of April 2019 (shown in brackets). Hosts Egypt were automatically assigned to position A1. Defending champions Cameroon were also automatically placed into Pot 1.

Group stage
The top two teams of each group and the four best third-placed teams advance to the round of 16.

All times are local, CAT (UTC+2).

Tiebreakers
Teams are ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss), and if tied on points, the following tiebreaking criteria are applied, in the order given, to determine the rankings (Regulations Article 74):
 * 1) Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
 * 2) Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
 * 3) Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
 * 4) If more than two teams are tied, and after applying all head-to-head criteria above, a subset of teams are still tied, all head-to-head criteria above are reapplied exclusively to this subset of teams;
 * 5) Goal difference in all group matches;
 * 6) Goals scored in all group matches;
 * 7) Drawing of lots.

Knockout stage
In the knockout stage, extra time and penalty shoot-out are used to decide the winner if necessary, except for the third place match where a direct penalty shoot-out, without any extra time, is used to decide the winner if necessary (Regulations Article 75).

The specific match-ups involving the third-placed teams depend on which four third-placed teams qualified for the round of 16:

Goalscorers
There have been 8 goals scored in 2 matches, for an average of goals per match.


 * 1 goals


 * 🇪🇬 Trézéguet
 * 🇬🇳 Sory Kaba
 * 🇬🇳 François Kamano
 * Anicet Abel
 * Carolus Andriamatsinoro
 * Odion Ighalo
 * 🇺🇬 Patrick Kaddu
 * 🇺🇬 Emmanuel Okwi

Prize money
The CAF has increased in 2019, prize money to be shared between the teams participating in the Africa Cup of Nations.

Sponsorship
In July 2016, Total has secured an eight-year sponsorship package from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to support 10 of its principal competitions. Total started with the Africa Cup of Nations that was held in Gabon in 2017 therefore renaming it Total Africa Cup of Nations.

Mascot
The Organizing Committee of the 2019 African Cup of Nations revealed the AFCON 2019 Mascot; The child "Tut" which is inspired by the Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun. His kit bear resemblance to the Egypt's home colors with the map of Africa visible on his shirt as well as the tournament's logo.

Match Ball
Umbro replaced Mitre as the official match ball supplier for the Africa Cup of Nations. The official match ball, named Neo Pro, was unveiled on 29 May 2019.