With the group stage of the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations in the books, only 16 of the original 24 teams remain standing, with eight teams going home.
All the first-place and second-place finishers of the group stage qualified for the knockout rounds, while the four best third-placed teams also made it through to complete the field of 16 teams.
Shockingly, African power Ghana and defending champion Algeria were both eliminated in the group stage. On the flip side, Cape Verde advanced to the knockout stage for just the second time in the nation’s history, following up its 2013 showing when it reached the quarterfinals.
Tiny Comoros also moved on in its first-ever appearance at the AFCON tournament. It was the last team to make it through as a third-place finisher, with Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau missing out. Here’s how the third-place finishers ranked:
| 3rd-Place Team | Group | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Cape Verde-X | A | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 2. Malawi-X | B | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 3. Tunisia-X | F | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 |
| 4. Comoros-X | C | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | -2 |
| 5. Sierra Leone-E | E | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | -1 |
| 6. Guinea-Bissau-E | D | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -3 |
X = Qualified to Round of 16 | E = Eliminated
Hosts Cameroon, en route to winning Group A, scored the most goals of the group stage with seven, while Senegal completed its charge to the top of Group B without conceding a single goal. Nigeria finished with the most points, a perfect nine-of-nine after winning all three matches with a +5 goal differential, the best in the tournament so far.
Below is the complete knockout round schedule, including the potential matchups in the quarterfinals.
MORE: AFCON 2022 top goalscorers
AFCON 2022 knockout bracket
Round of 16
| Date | Match | Time (ET) | TV & Stream |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 23, 2022 | Burkina Faso vs. Gabon | 11 a.m. | beIN XTRA & fuboTV |
| Jan. 23, 2022 | Nigeria vs. Tunisia | 2 p.m. | beIN XTRA & fuboTV |
| Jan. 24, 2022 | Guinea vs. Gambia | 11 a.m. | beIN Sports & fuboTV |
| Jan. 24, 2022 | Cameroon vs. Comoros | 2 p.m. | beIN Sports & fuboTV |
| Jan. 25, 2022 | Senegal vs. Cape Verde | 11 a.m. | beIN Sports & fuboTV |
| Jan. 25, 2022 | Morocco vs. Malawi | 2 p.m. | beIN Sports & fuboTV |
| Jan. 26, 2022 | Ivory Coast vs. Egypt | 11 a.m. | beIN Sports & fuboTV |
| Jan. 26, 2022 | Mail vs. Equatorial Guinea | 2 p.m. | beIN Sports & fuboTV |
Quarterfinals
| Date | Match | Time (ET) | TV & Stream |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 29, 2022 | QF1: Guinea/Gambia vs. Cameroon/Comoros | 11 a.m. | TBA |
| Jan. 29, 2022 | QF2: Burkina Faso/Gabon vs. Nigeria/Tunisia | 2 p.m. | TBA |
| Jan. 30, 2022 | QF3: Ivory Coast/Egypt vs. Morocco/Malawi | 11 a.m. | TBA |
| Jan. 30, 2022 | QF4: Senegal/Cape Verde vs. Mali/Eq. Guinea | 2 p.m. | TBA |
Semifinals
| Date | Match | Time (ET) | TV & Stream |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 2, 2022 | Winner QF2 vs. Winner QF4 | 2 p.m. | TBA |
| Feb. 3, 2022 | Winner QF3 vs. Winner QF1 | 2 p.m. | TBA |
3rd Place
| Date | Match | Time (ET) | TV & Stream |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 6, 2022 | Loser SF1 vs. Loser SF2 | 11 a.m. | TBA |
Finals
| Date | Match | Time (ET) | TV & Stream |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 6, 2022 | Winner SF1 vs. Winner SF2 | 2 p.m. | TBA |