2019 African Cup of Nations: Where and when is it? Which Brighton players will be involved? Where can I watch it?

The 2019 African Cup of Nations kicks-off tonight (Friday June 21) with a three-strong Brighton & Hove Albion contingent expected to play their part in the tournament.
Brighton & Hove Albion's Nigerian defender Leon Balogun. All pictures courtesy of Getty ImagesBrighton & Hove Albion's Nigerian defender Leon Balogun. All pictures courtesy of Getty Images
Brighton & Hove Albion's Nigerian defender Leon Balogun. All pictures courtesy of Getty Images

Where is the African Cup of Nations being held?

The 2019 African Cup of Nations will be held at six venues in Egypt. The competition will take place in Egypt for a record fifth-time, with the North African nation hosting the tournament in 1959, 1974, 1986 and 2006.

The 2019 edition of the competition was initially meant to be held in Cameroon, but organisational problems saw them stripped of the showpiece tournament.

Seagulls Cameroonian left-back Gaetan BongSeagulls Cameroonian left-back Gaetan Bong
Seagulls Cameroonian left-back Gaetan Bong
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It will also be the first Africa Cup of Nations expanded from 16 to 24 teams.

When is the tournament taking place?

The 2019 African Cup of Nations will be held from June 21 to July 19. The competition was moved from the initial dates of June 15 to July 13 due to Ramadan.

This year's tournament also marks the first time Africa's premier competition will take place in the June and July, after previous editions took place in January and February.

Albion's South African striker Percy Tau in action during his loan spell at Union Saint-GilloiseAlbion's South African striker Percy Tau in action during his loan spell at Union Saint-Gilloise
Albion's South African striker Percy Tau in action during his loan spell at Union Saint-Gilloise

What is the competition's format?

The 24 qualified nations have been drawn into six groups of four teams. The teams will play each other once in a round-robin format.

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The top two teams and four best-placed teams in third will advance to the round of 16. The winners will advance to the quarter-finals.

The winners of the quarters will go into the semi-finals. The losers of the semis will contest a third-place play-off while the winners will compete in the final.

The 2019 African Cup of Nations final will take place on July 19 at the Cairo International Stadium.

VAR will be used but only from the quarter-finals.

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Which Brighton & Hove Albion players have been selected for the tournament?

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Leon Balogun, Gaetan Bong, and Percy Tau have been picked for Nigeria, Cameroon, and South Africa respectively.

Balogun's Nigeria will make their first appearance in the African Cup of Nations since 2013, where they were crowned champions after a 1-0 win over Burkina Faso in South Africa.

The Super Eagles have been drawn in Group B alongside Guinea, Burundi, and Madagascar. Nigeria kick-off their campaign against Burundi on Saturday June 22 (6pm k.o.).

Bong's Cameroon, currently managed by Dutch legend Clarence Seedorf, are the current holders of the competition after beating Egypt 2-1 in the 2017 tournament in Gabon.

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The Indomitable Lions will take on Ghana, Benin, and Guinea-Bissau in Group F. Cameroon's tournament begins on Tuesday June 25 when they face Guinea-Bissau (6pm k.o.).

Albion fans will get a chance to see Tau in action for South Africa after a successful season on loan at Belgian-outfit Union Saint-Gilloise.

The 1996 champions will face heavyweights Morocco and Ivory Coast as well as Namibia in Group D. Bafana Bafana's first game of the competition sees them play Ivory Coast on Monday June 24 (3.30pm k.o.).

Yves Bissouma had been picked for Mali, who have been drawn in Group E with Tunisia, Mauritania, and Angola, but was ruled out of the tournament through a shoulder injury.

Who are the favourites?

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Hosts Egypt are the bookies favourite to take home the African Cup of Nations title. The Pharaohs are 9/2 to be the new kings of Africa with SkyBet.

Senegal are second favourites at 11/2 while Ghana and Ivory Coast are both 8/1.

Balogun and Nigeria are 9/1 while Bong and holders Cameroon are priced at 12/1.

Bissouma's Mali are 14/1 and Tau and South Africa are 33/1.

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah is currently the favourite to scoop the competitions' top goalscorer award at 11/2, some way ahead of fellow Reds teammate Sadio Mane at 7/1.

Where can I watch the 2019 African Cup of Nations?

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This year's tournament will be broadcast live on Eurosport and the Eurosport Player streaming service.

The Brighton & Hove Independent will also be providing updates on how Albion's trio get on throughout the tournament.