ARTICLE AD
Bypass geo-restrictions to watch Africa's biggest tournament from anywhere in the world.
All products featured here are independently selected by our editors and writers. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission.
Credit: Ayman Aref / NurPhoto via Getty Images
Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Learn more about how we select deals.
TL;DR: Access free live streams of AFCON 2023 from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
It's that special time when it seems like all of Africa comes together for a festival of football.
The Africa Cup of Nations is like nothing else. This competition throws together some of the world's best international teams, players, and fans. And the result is always entertaining. We really can't wait to see how things play out. And you can do the same without spending anything.
If you want to watch the African Cup of Nations for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
What is AFCON 2023?
The Africa Cup of Nations (or AFCON) is the main international men's association football competition in Africa. It is sanctioned by the Confederation of African Football, and was first held in 1957.
Egypt is the most successful nation in the competition's history, winning the tournament seven times. Senegal are the current champions, having beaten Egypt on penalties in the 2021 final.
When is AFCON 2023?
The 2023 African Cup of Nations is the 34th edition of the biennial tournament. It will be hosted by Ivory Coast for the second time.
This edition of the tournament was initially planned to take place during the Northern Hemisphere's summer, in order to reduce scheduling conflicts with European club teams and competitions. However, it was postponed due to the adverse summer weather concerns in Ivory Coast.
AFCON 2023 will now take place from Jan. 13 to Feb. 11.
Where to watch AFCON 2023?
There are plenty of options when it comes to watching the 2023 African Cup of Nations:
Australia — beIN Sports or Kayo Sports
Belgium — RTBF
Brazil — Band TV
Canada — FuboTV
France — beIN Sports
Germany — Sportdigital
Italy — SportItalia
Nigeria — NTA (free and recommended)
Netherlands — Zigo Sport
Nordics — Viaplay
Portugal — SportTV
South Africa — SABC Sport (free and recommended)
Spain — LaLiga+
UK — BBC iPlayer (free and recommended) or Sky Sports
USA — beIN Sports via Sling TV, FuboTV, Fanatiz, YouTube TV, or Hulu with Live TV
Unfortunately, a lot of these services are not free. And if they are free, they are geo-restricted to a certain location, meaning you'll be blocked it you attempt to connect from another country. That is unless you're equipped with a VPN.
How to watch AFCON 2023 for free
The good news is that AFCON 2023 will be shown free-to-air with popular services like NTA, SABC Sport, and BBC iPlayer.
BBC iPlayer is showing 10 games including both semi-finals and the final. NTA and SABC Sport are offering free live streaming of every game from the tournament.
All of these services are geo-restricted to certain locations, meaning you'll be blocked if you attempt to connect from anywhere else in the world. All is not lost though, because anyone can access these free services with a VPN. These powerful tools hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure servers in other countries, meaning you can access these free streaming platforms from anywhere in the world.
Mashable Deals
Access free live streams of AFCON 2023 by following these simple steps:
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in a location with free coverage (Nigeria, South Africa, or the UK)
Visit NTA, SABC Sport, or BBC iPlayer
Watch AFCON 2023 for free from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By taking advantage of these offers, you can gain access to free live streams without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you time to watch AFCON 2023 for free.
What is the best VPN for streaming?
ExpressVPN is the best service for streaming sport, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 94 countries
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure
Fast connection speeds
Up to five simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for £82.82 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.
Watch the Africa Cup of Nations for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
Joseph joined Mashable as the UK Shopping Editor in 2018. He worked for a number of print publications before making the switch to the glittery world of digital media, and now writes about everything from coffee machines to VPNs.
This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.