Two extra African heavyweights go head-to-head on the third matchday of AFCON 2022 as Nigeria meets Egypt and its celebrity Mohamed Salah within the group-stage opener for each nations.

The 2 powerhouses are thought of among the many contenders for the Africa Cup of Nations title, although Senegal and defending champion Algeria are the overwhelming favorites heading into the event.

Algeria may also make its 2022 event debut on Tuesday. Senegal kicked off its participation with a victory, courtesy of a stoppage-time penalty kick conversion by Liverpool star Sadio Mane. 

MORE:AFCON 2022 up to date group standings

Among the many different groups anticipated to make deep runs, Morocco beat Ghana on a late objective by Sofiane Boufal, whereas host nation Cameroon emerged with a 2-1 come-from-behind win thanks to 2 penalty kicks.

Methods to watch AFCON 2022

• Dates: Jan. 9 by way of Feb. 6 (52 matches)
• Occasions: 8 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m. ET
• TV Channels: beIN Sports activities, beIN Sports activities XTRA
• Spanish-language TV: beIN Sports activities en Espanol, beIN Sports activities XTRA en Espanol
• Streaming: fuboTV, beIN Sports activities Join and different platforms

The AFCON event shall be carried by Bein Sports Activities within the USA and Canada, and protection shall be accessible in each English and Spanish.

Cable and satellite tv for pc TV channels beIN Sports Activities and beIN Sports activities en Espanol will carry matches, as will free channel beIN Sports activities XTRA. Followers can entry all of them on fuboTV, which is out there for brand spanking new customers through a free trial.

beIN streams are additionally accessible for customers of Fanatiz and YouTube TV. And since beIN XTRA is free, it is accessible on a number of different streaming platforms together with Roku and Pluto TV.

MORE: Newest AFCON group standings, schedule & highlights

AFCON 2022 matches as we speak

Two extra group — Group D and Group E — start play on Tuesday. 

MORE: Story behind crew nicknames at AFCON

Along with Nigeria vs. Egypt, the opposite Group D sides Sudan and Guinea-Bissau shall be in search of crucial factors as they chase the 2 favorites. Defending champion Algeria opens in opposition to Sierra Leone within the first Group E match.

AFCON schedule: Tuesday, Jan. 11

AFCON outcomes: Monday, Jan. 10

There have been 4 1-0 leads to Monday’s slate with Senegal, Morocco, Guinea and Gabon all claiming slender victories.

MORE: Up to date AFCON 2022 schedule, outcomes & highlights

AFCON 2022 event format

Just like different continental championships and World Cup tournaments, the Africa Cup of Nations begins with a gaggle stage, adopted by knockout rounds all the best way to the ultimate. 

• Group stage: Jan. 9-20
• Spherical of 16: Jan. 23-26
• Quarterfinals: Jan. 29-30
• Semifinals: Feb. 2-3
• Third place: Feb. 6
• Closing: Feb. 6

The 24 nations are divided into six teams of 4 nations every. On the conclusion of round-robin group play — with three factors awarded for a win, one for a draw and none for a loss — the highest two groups in every group based mostly on factors (and tiebreakers, if vital) advance to the knockouts. The remaining slots within the Spherical of 16 shall be crammed out by the 4 finest third-place finishers.

A predetermined knockout bracket shall be performed out during to the ultimate. If any knockout match ends in a tie after 90 minutes, the groups will play half-hour of additional time. If the draw persists, a penalty-kick shootout will decide the crew to maneuver on. The third-place match is the one one that will skip additional time and transfer straight to the shootout in case of a draw. 

For the primary time within the competitors’s historical past, all 52 matches will function the usage of a Video Assistant Referee (VAR).

MORE: Rating the highest 10 gamers at AFCON

Who will win AFCON 2022?

Judging by BetMGM’s odds, we could possibly be in for an additional Senegal-Algeria closing. The nations got the shortest odds to win all of it and their odds solely shortened within the week earlier than the AFCON kickoff. Senegal is given a slight edge over defending champion Algeria.

It isn’t a shock to see among the different conventional African powers on the listing of 10 nations most definitely to win it, however based mostly on the chances motion it seems as if bettors have been fading Nigeria, Egypt, Ghana and Tunisia within the lead-up.