The tournament begins on 9 January

Mohamed Salah - AFCON

Sky Sports and the BBC have agreed a deal with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to air the Africa Cup of Nations.

Getting underway in Cameroon on 9 January and ending with the final on 6 February, the tournament will feature the top African national teams and Premier League stars such as Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, Chelsea’s Edouard Mendy, Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez, and Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

All 52 matches will be broadcast on Sky Sports, with the BBC showing ten games live - including two quarter-finals, both semi-finals and the final.

CAF general secretary Veron Mosengo-Omba said: “It is important for CAF to ensure that the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations, being the single-biggest sporting event on African soil, and prime content, is accessible all over the world. This event is consumed not only by Africans but enjoys a global audience. In Cameroon next year, we are planning an event bigger and better product that will attract millions of viewers. We are excited to see Sky and the BBC on board.”

Sky Sports director of football Gary Hughes added: “For football fans who love to watch the best players in the world such as Mohammed Salah, Sadio Mane and Riyad Mahrez, this is excellent news.

“We’re delighted to be adding this fantastic competition to our ever-expanding football offering in the UK & Ireland which already includes Premier League, EFL, Scottish Premiership and FA Women’s Super League as well as international action in the form of World Cup Qualifiers, placing Sky Sports as the home of live football.”

Barbara Slater, director of BBC Sport said: “We’re thrilled to be bringing such a prestigious event free-to-air for UK audiences. The African Cup of Nations launches a huge year of international football and I know fans will look forward to following all the action from the competition across BBC platforms.”