Afcon 2021: Everything you need to know about tournament in Cameroon

Who is going to shine in Africa?

Ten games will be shown live on the BBC with news, round-ups, reports and live text coverage.

The Africa Cup of Nations will be the center of attention when the first major football tournament of the 21st century kicks off on Sunday.

The hosts of the opening game of the tournament will be facing off against a team from the other side of the world.

The tournament was originally scheduled to start in June 2021, but was moved to January last year to avoid the rainy season in Africa.

The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has faced criticism over the timing of its continental showpiece, and last month had to address rumors the tournament would be further delayed or moved following the emergence of the Omicron variant of Covid-19.

Ian Wright, who played for England and the English, said some of the negative media coverage was disrespectful and racist.

When are the games?

The Nations Cup has 24 participants for the second year in a row.

The top two teams in each group will progress to the last 16 along with the four best-ranked third-place teams.

The knockout stages will be held on Sunday, 23 January with the games being held at all times.

The final of 10 games will be broadcast by the British Broadcasting Corporation. The first game to be shown is the Nigeria and Egypt game.

The ball is called the Umbro Toghu because it was originally designed for royalty but is now popular throughout the country.

Who are the main competitors?

Algeria are on a 34 match winning streak and are led by Manchester City's Riyad Mahrez.

Egypt boast arguably the best player in the world right now in Mohamed Salah, who has shone forLiverpool, while Sadio Mane's Senegal, Africa's top-ranked side for the past three years, were runners-up in 2019.

The countries with the most success are Nigeria,Ghana, and Uganda, but they had unconvincing World Cup qualification campaigns in the future.

Despite being stripped of home advantage, the Malians went unscathed in the World Cup play-offs.

At the other end of the spectrum, the other former champions are present, as are the first-timers.

What about the timing?

Some European clubs are not happy about releasing their players mid-season for the tournament.

In a dispute over the availability of Emmanuel Dennis, the Hornets were accused of "baring fangs" by Nigeria.

Due to the climate in Cameroon and being forced to shift the biennial tournament into a World Cup year, the Caf has limited options over its timing.

Next year, the 2023 edition will take place in Ivoir Coast.

The president of the world governing body has proposed moving the Nations Cup to between September and November.

What about off-field issues?

The tournament has been affected by the Pandemic, with attendances capped at 60% of capacity.

Only those who have been double-vaccinated and have a negative Covid test can attend games, and only 80% of the capacity can be used.

It will be interesting to see how those restrictions affect attendances at the 52 matches spread across the six stadiums.

Cape Verde was struck by an outbreak in their training camp and The Gambia had to cancel two friendly matches because of unavailability.

What shape is the country in, as it prepares to host the much delayed competition?

Due to the fact that the tournament had to be moved to Egypt, infrastructure in the country has been questioned.

There are concerns over the security of the city of Limbe, which is in the south-west region and has been affected by conflict in the past.

The armed groups in the Anglophone regions of the country have been trying to form a new state called Ambazonia.

In a bid to maintain order, armored vehicles and checkpoints have been deployed this week across Limbe, where a car bomb exploded on the eve of the African Nations Championship in January 2021, with further explosions having also taken place in the area in recent months.

The security measures taken mean there will be no disruption to the tournament, with Limbe set to host eight matches, including two knockout games.

How to watch the tournament.

There will be 10 games, including two quarter-finals, both semis and the final. Sky Sports will show every match in Africa, with Canal+ and SuperSport among those showing coverage.

Live text coverage from the quarter-finals onwards will be available on the BBC Sport website.