CAN 2022: everything you need to know about the tournament in Cameroon.
An Egyptian supporter with a jersey bearing the image of Mohamed Sallah on a background of the Cameroonian flag.
The first major football tournament of 2022 kicks off this Sunday, with the Africa Cup of Nations.
CAN 2022 All Match
Many stars from the Premier League and Europe will travel to Cameroon, where the host country will face Burkina Faso in the opener.
First scheduled for June 2021, then brought forward to January of last year to avoid the rainy season in Cameroon, the competition has been postponed to 2022 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has faced criticism over the schedule for its continental event, and last month it had to respond to rumors that the tournament was further delayed or moved following the appearance of the Omicron variant of Covid-19.
Former Arsenal and England striker Ian Wright says the negative media coverage is "disrespectful" and "tinged with racism".
What is the format and when are the matches held?
For the second consecutive tournament, the Nations Cup will have 24 participants.
That means six groups of four, with the top two qualifying for the round of 16 alongside the top four thirds.
Matches will take place at 1:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. (every hour GMT) during the group stages, with the last two hours being used for knockout matches starting on Sunday 23 January.
The BBC will broadcast 10 matches, including the final which will take place at the Olembe stadium in Yaoundé on Sunday, February 6. The first game broadcast will be the heavyweight clash between Nigeria and Egypt on Tuesday.
The ball used is Umbro's Toghu, named after a multi-colored, intricately embroidered outfit originally designed for royalty, but now popular throughout Cameroon.
Who are the main contenders?
It's hard to ignore defending Algeria, who have a 34-game unbeaten streak and are led by Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez.
Sadio Mané's Senegal, Africa's top-ranked team for the past three years, were finalists in 2019 and are among the main challengers, while seven-time champions Egypt can boast of having the best player of the world at the moment, Mohamed Salah, who has shone for Liverpool this season.
Ghana and Nigeria are among the top performing countries on the continent, but their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaigns have not been convincing, while Cameroon, in pursuit of their sixth Nations Cup title, will have great chances on his field.
Mali could surprise after reaching the World Cup play-offs by remaining undefeated despite the lack of home advantage.
Other former champions in attendance are Côte d'Ivoire, Morocco and Tunisia, and at the other end of the spectrum, Comoros and Gambia qualify for the first time.
What about the schedule?
Some European clubs did not appreciate releasing their players mid-season for the tournament.
Premier League club Watford, for example, have been accused of "showing their fangs" by Nigeria during a dispute over the availability of Emmanuel Dennis, a battle the Hornets ultimately won.
However, the climate in Cameroon and being forced to shift the biennial tournament into a World Cup year left Caf with limited options as to its timing.
The 2023 edition is expected to take place in June and July of next year in Côte d'Ivoire.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has proposed moving future Nations Cups between September and November as part of a revised international calendar.
What about off-field issues, like the coronavirus?
The pandemic obviously had an impact on the tournament, with the Caf capping the number of spectators at 60% of capacity for most matches.
The matches in which the host country Cameroon participates can take place at 80% of their capacity, and only people who have been doubly vaccinated and whose Covid test is negative will be able to attend the matches.
With only 2% of the country fully vaccinated according to figures from Our World in Data, it will be interesting to see the impact of these restrictions on attendance at the 52 matches spread across the six stadiums.
Several countries reported cases in the run-up to the tournament. Cape Verde have been hit by an outbreak in their training camp and debutant Gambia have had to cancel two friendlies as more than half of their squad are unavailable.
One of the stadiums hosting the CAN tournament in Cameroon
Cameroon's infrastructure and suitability to host the tournament were questioned, given that it was scheduled to host the 2019 tournament, which had to be moved to Egypt.
The security of Limbe, a town in the southwest of the country affected in recent years by a conflict with local militants who are pursuing a separatist agenda, is raising concerns.
Since 2017, armed groups - who claim that the English-speaking regions of Cameroon have been marginalized by the predominantly French-speaking government - have attempted to form a secessionist state called Ambazonia.
In an attempt to maintain order, armored vehicles and checkpoints were deployed this week across Limbe, where a car bomb exploded on the eve of Cameroon's hosting of the African Nations Championship in January. 2021, other explosions have also taken place in the region in recent months.
Local officials say the security measures taken mean there will be no disruption to CAN, with Limbe scheduled to host eight matches, including two knockout matches.
How to follow the tournament
The BBC will broadcast 10 matches, including two quarter-finals, the two semi-finals and the final. Sky Sports will broadcast all matches in Cameroon, while beIN SPORT, Canal + and SuperSport will provide coverage across Africa.
The BBC Sport website will also keep you up to date with news during the tournament, with daily match news and recaps, as well as live text coverage from the quarter-finals.
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