Despite being held in 2024, the next Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament will be known as AFCON 2023, as Africa's best teams converge on Ivory Coast to compete for the trophy.
Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah is likely to captain the most successful side in the history of tournament, Egypt, who have prevailed seven times but are currently on a run of six successive unsuccessful attempts at claiming the trophy.
The Pharaohs have reached the final on two of the past three occasions, going closest when they lost on penalties to Senegal at the last tournament, in 2021.
The Sporting News explains why AFCON's name refers to the previous year, as well as detailing the tournament dates to look out for as Salah and his teammates look to go one better amid the usual stern competition.
MORE: When is AFCON 2024? Dates, schedule for Africa Cup of Nations 2023
When is AFCON?
The 24-team tournament will take place from 13 January until 11 February, starting with six groups of four teams each playing each other and criteria based on head-to-head results between teams and secondly head-to-head goal difference.
The knockout stage will feature the winners and runners-up in each group and the best four third-placed teams. The final will take place at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in the Ivory Coast's largest city, Abidjan.
Why is 2024 AFCON called 2023? Reason for date change
The Confederation of African Football (Caf) announced in June 2022 that the tournament would be moved from June and July 2023 to early 2024, but it is still called the 2023 edition, reflecting its status as a biennial event.
The finals had been due to take place at the height of the rainy season in Ivory Coast. "We cannot take the risk," Caf president Patrice Motsepe said at the time, hence the move.
MORE: AFCON qualifiers 2023 results
The tournament was not brought forward to an earlier date as that would have moved it closer to the FIFA World Cup, which took place in November and December 2022.
This is not the first time in recent years that a tournament has moved years but kept the original year in its name, with branding, logistics and costs likely to be part of organisers' thinking.
UEFA EURO 2020 was postponed because of the Covid pandemic but kept its full original name despite the fact it took place in 2021.
🔴⚪️ Thomas Partey, expected to be out until the end of 2023 due to injury. His AFCON presence will be clarified/decided later this year.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 9, 2023
Thomas has undergone a specialist procedure for treatment, as reported by @johncrossmirror — not good news for #AFC again. pic.twitter.com/OvUfa5JFqO
Why is AFCON taking place in January?
Caf decided in 2017 to move the finals from January and February to the summer in a move designed to avoid long-held, familiar disputes with clubs forced to release players mid-season.
While AFCON represents a hugely prestigious opportunity for the players involved, it is also a disruptive blow for their club sides to lose them in the thick of their domestic schedules.
Salah, for example, is considered by many to be Liverpool's key player and already looks likely to be their top scorer again in the Premier League this season.
Achraf Hakimi (Paris St-Germain and Morocco), Victor Osimhen (Napoli and Nigeria), Sadio Mane (Al Nassr and Senegal) and Andre Onana (Manchester United and Cameroon) are among the large number of high-profile players set to miss club matches for the finals.
"January is not the ideal time because of the European clubs," Motsepe said when the change was made. "But it is the only choice we have."
Who has won the most Africa Cup of Nations titles?
As well as Egypt, six other nations have won the trophy more than once, with an overall total of 15 winners of the tournament.
| Rank | Nation | AFCON titles | Years won |
| 1. | Egypt | 7 | 1957, 1959, 1986, 1998, 2006, 2008, 2010 |
| 2. | Cameroon | 5 | 1984, 1988, 2000, 2002, 2017 |
| 3. | Ghana | 4 | 1963, 1965, 1978, 1982 |
| 4. | Nigeria | 3 | 1980, 1994, 2013 |
| 5. | Ivory Coast | 2 | 1992, 2015 |
| = | Algeria | 2 | 1990, 2019 |
| = | DR Congo | 2 | 1968, 1974 |
| 8. | Zambia | 1 | 2012 |
| = | Tunisia | 1 | 2004 |
| = | Sudan | 1 | 1970 |
| = | Senegal | 1 | 2021 |
| = | Ethiopia | 1 | 1962 |
| = | Morocco | 1 | 1976 |
| = | South Africa | 1 | 1996 |
| = | Congo | 1 | 1972 |
AFCON 2024 round dates, schedule
Hosts Ivory Coast will kick off the opening fixture against Guinea-Bissau on January 13 in Abidjan.
The Round of 16 starts on January 27, with the quarterfinal and semifinals beginning on February 2 and 7 respectively.
| Round | Date |
| Group Stage | January 13-24, 2024 |
| Round of 16 | January 27-30, 2024 |
| Quarterfinal | February 2-3, 2024 |
| Semifinal | February 7, 2024 |
| Third place playoff | February 10, 2024 |
| Final | February 11, 2024 |