Announcement: BBC press announcement: BBC to bring Africa Cup of Nations to global audiences

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42The BBC will bring extensive coverage of the 30th Africa Cup of Nations staged in Equatorial Guinea. Comprehensive coverage on radio, TV, online and mobile will also feature specially commissioned reports on key players, teams and matches.

BBC’s football experts will be reporting from the four host cities – Bata, Ebebiyin, Malabo and Mongomo – following the progress of all 16 teams from the group stages in January through to the final on 8 February.

Every moment in the tournament will be captured by the BBC’s team of experts.  Audiences will be able to follow the action with regular updates and analysis of each game. On Saturday 17 January the opening game between Equatorial Guinea and Congo at the National Stadium will be brought in English and French. BBC World Service will bring commentary on key matches to listeners in Africa from the quarter finals, semi-finals and final in English, French on BBC Afrique, and BBC Swahili.   

Mobile users will have the opportunity to get expert analysis via live text commentary for all of the key games. 

BBC sports journalists will be linking up with BBC World Service’s rebroadcasting partner stations across Africa to give expert analysis on the competition.

Radio listeners across Africa and worldwide will be able to follow the latest developments and analysis on all three editions (1500, 1700 and 1900 GMT) of Focus on Africa radio.  Match reports will feature in various programmes across BBC Afrique, BBC Hausa, BBC Somali, BBC Gahuza (in Kinyarwanda/Kirundi) and BBC Swahili.

 

Newsday on BBC World Service radio will have extended sports coverage each morning from 0500 GMT while Sportsworld, Sport Today and World Football will provide additional coverage of what has become one of the premier tournaments in world football.

The BBC’s TV programme for Africa, Focus on Africa, available on BBC World News and broadcast by a range of TV stations across Africa, will report on every stage of the tournament.  The BBC Swahili TV programme, Dira Ya Dunia, and rebroadcast by partner stations in Africa, will also bring in-depth reporting from the competition.

The Africa Cup of Nations will also be reported by the newly launched BBC Afrique and BBC Hausa TV bulletins available via bbcafrique.com, bbchausa.com and rebroadcasting TV channels.

Social-media savvy fans will be able to follow BBC Africa’s coverage on Twitter via #BBCAFCON2015, #BBCAfrica and the Facebook page LoveAfricanFootball.

The BBC teams will be retweeting the best game reactions from fans who post to #BBCAfrica on Vine and Instagram.

BBC Global News Sports Editor for Languages, Ben Sutherland says: “As broadcasters and football lovers, we are looking forward to bringing this unique sporting event to our millions of listeners, TV viewers and online and mobile users across the world.  We have an unrivalled team of African football experts who will bring every kick of the tournament to fans across the globe.” 

Audiences will be able to follow the action at bbc.com/africanfootball as well as the BBC’s language sites: bbcafrique.combbcgahuza.combbchausa.combbcsomali.com and bbcswahili.com.

For more information please contact:

BBC World Service Group Communications

Marina Forsythe marina.forsythe@bbc.co.uk +44 7720 671 372