CHANNEL 4 will show the Africa Cup of Nations free-to-air for the first time in UK history after sealing a landmark deal with CAF.
The broadcaster has landed exclusive rights to , meaning every kick, card and controversy from will be available without fans paying a penny.
Bryan Mbeumo is expected to feature for Cameroon at AfconCredit: AFP
Mohamed Salah will lead an Egypt side looking to be kings of Africa in MoroccoCredit: Getty
The tournament kicks off Sunday December 21 with 24 nations battling it out across 52 matches in nine stadiums.
All of them will be shown live across , E4, 4Seven, Channel 4 Streaming and the Channel 4 Sport YouTube channel.
And British fans won’t be short of familiar faces.
A long list of Premier League stars are set to light up the tournament, including Liverpool hero Mo Salah and Man City striker Omar Marmoush with Egypt, the most decorated side in AFCON history.
Egypt face Zimbabwe on December 22 (5pm) and then South Africa on Boxing Day (3pm).
Manchester United trio Bryan Mbeumo (Cameroon), Amad Diallo (holders Ivory Coast) and Noussair Mazraoui (Morocco) are all expected to feature, along with Everton pair Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye (both Senegal).
Fulham duo Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey will turn out for Nigeria, while West Ham’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka (DR Congo), Palace winger Ismaila Sarr (Senegal) and Wolves defender Emmanuel Agbadou (Ivory Coast) are also set for action.
Channel 4’s Head of Sport Pete Andrews said: “Bringing the excitement and drama of AFCON exclusively to free-to-air TV for the first time is huge for us.
“With so many Premier League stars involved, including Mo Salah on Channel 4 on , fans will still get their festive fix even with less Premier League action elsewhere.”
CAF General Secretary Veron Mosengo-Omba hailed the deal as “historic”, saying it would bring AFCON into “every UK household for the first time”.
Amad Diallo will play for the Ivory CoastCredit: Getty
Alex Iwobi will hope Nigeria can make up for missing the World Cup by winning the AFCONCredit: Getty
Coverage of the 35th will be produced by IMG, who helped broker the rights with CAF.
Channel 4’s action begins December 21 with full live coverage of the group stage.
Premier League players expected to depart for AFCON
Arsenal
No players leaving for AFCON
Aston Villa
- Evann Guessand (Ivory Coast)
AFC Bournemouth
- Amine Adli (Morocco)
Brentford
- Dango Ouattara (Burkina Faso)
- Frank Onyeka (Nigeria)
- Brighton & Hove Albion
Carlos Baleba (Cameroon)
Burnley
- Lyle Foster (South Africa)
- Axel Tuanzebe (DR Congo)
- Hannibal Mejbri (Tunisia)
Chelsea
No players leaving for AFCON
Crystal Palace
- Ismaila Sarr (Senegal)
- Christantus Uche (Nigeria)
- Chadi Riad (Morocco)
- Cheick Doucoure (Mali)
Everton
- Iliman Ndiaye (Senegal)
- Idrissa Gueye (Senegal)
Fulham
- Alex Iwobi (Nigeria)
- Calvin Bassey (Nigeria)
- Samuel Chukwueze (Nigeria)
Leeds United
No players leaving for AFCON
Liverpool
- Mohamed Salah (Egypt)
Manchester City
- Omar Marmoush (Egypt)
- Rayan Ait-Nouri (Algeria)
Manchester United
- Bryan Mbeumo (Cameroon)
- Noussair Mazraoui (Morocco)
- Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast)
Newcastle United
- *Yoanne Wissa (DR Congo) *not been selected due to injury
Nottingham Forest
- Ibrahim Sangaré (Ivory Coast)
- Willy Boly (Ivory Coast)
- Ola Aina (Nigeria)
- Taiwo Awoniyi (Nigeria)
Sunderland
- Noah Sadiki (DR Congo)
- Simon Adingra (Ivory Coast)
- Chemsdine Talbi (Morocco)
- Reinildo Mandava (Mozambique)
- Ahmed Abdullahi (Nigeria)
- Habib Diarra (Senegal)
- Arthur Masuaku (DR Congo)
- Blondy Nna Noukeu (Cameroon)
- Bertrand Traoré (Burkina Faso)
Tottenham Hotspur
- Pape Matar Sarr (Senegal)
- Yves Bissouma (Mali)
West Ham United
- El Hadji Malick Diouf (Senegal)
- Aaron Wan-Bissaka (DR Congo)
Wolverhampton Wanderers
- Emmanuel Agbadou (Ivory Coast)
- Jackson Tchatchoua (Cameroon)
- Tolu Arokodare (Nigeria)
- Marshall Munetsi (Zimbabwe)
- Tawanda Chirewa (Zimbabwe)
Eze Chidiebere Paul
I'm dedicated to creating high-quality content that informs, inspires, and delights. If you have any questions or suggestions, don't hesitate to get in touch. Happy reading!
