AFCON 2023 semi-finals preview: Full schedule and how to watch live
Nigeria, South Africa, DR Congo and hosts Ivory Coast are into the last four of the 2023 CAF Africa Cup of Nations. Find the fixtures and where to watch the action live.
Football
The 2023 CAF Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast has reached the semi-final stage with the remaining teams two wins away from getting their hands on the AFCON trophy.
The first semi-final pits three-times AFCON winners Nigeria against South Africa.
The Super Eagles beat Angola 1-0 in the quarter-finals, whilst South Africa drew 0-0 against Cape Verde before winning 2-1 in a penalty shootout.
The second semi sees hosts Ivory Coast take on DR Congo.
Ivory Coast have had a dramatic journey to the semi-finals, with a last minute winner against Mali in the quarters despite playing half of the game with ten men. DR Congo saw off Guinea with a comfortable 3-1 win to make it into the final four.
All four remaining teams have previously won AFCON, but it is DR Congo that have gone the longest without getting their hands on the trophy having last won the competition in 1974.
Semi-final 1: Nigeria vs South Africa (Stade Bouaké)
Although Nigeria head into this fiery fixture as favourites, South Africa will not be overlooked.
Bafana Bafana comfortably overcame Morocco, who were dubbed by many as the team to go all the way, before seeing off unlikely quarter-finalists Cape Verde.
Hugo Broos’ South Africa are currently unbeaten in 13 games in all competitions, whereas Nigeria suffered a loss to Guinea in preparation for this year’s AFCON tournament.
The Super Eagles have a better head-to-head record against Bafana Bafana, but tensions will be high for this anticipated fixture with the feeling that anything could happen.
Semi-final 2: Ivory Coast vs DR Congo (Olympic Stadium of Ebimpé)
Hosts Ivory Coast’s journey to the semi-finals has been anything but smooth sailing. The Elephants’ squeezed through to the Round of 16 as the fourth-best third placed team in the group stages and have since relied on last minute goals to help them progress through the tournament.
Having received two red cards in their quarter-final game against Mali, Ivory Coast will be without both Oumar Diakite and Odilon Kossounou whereas DR Congo expect to have a full squad available.
The Leopards finished second in Group F before seeing off record AFCON winners Egypt in the Round of 16 and Guinea in the quarters.
DR Congo head into this game with the worse head-to-head record of the two sides, but will be confident in their ability to take advantage of a chaotic Ivory Coast side.
The winners of each semi-final fixture will face off in the AFCON final on Sunday 11 February in the Olympic Stadium of Ebimpé with the match kicking off at 20:00 local time (21:00 CET).
The beaten semi-finalists will meet in the third-place playoff 24 hours previously at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny.
How to watch 2023 AFCON live
2023 AFCON, held in 2024, is available to watch live across Africa and the rest of the world. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) aims to make the tournament accessible on free-to-air TV across the continent.
Nigerian fans will be able to watch the match live on AfroSport, whilst those in South Africa can watch via Supersports.
In the UK & Ireland, Sky Sports are broadcasting every AFCON fixture.
Other broadcasters include beIN Sport, which will broadcast the tournament in the Middle East and North Africa region as well as in France and the United States; CANAL+, which will show the event in French in Sub-Saharan Africa; GTV in Ghana; ZIGGO Sport in the Netherlands; and the CAF's own media channels will also show games in some countries.