BBC increases coverage to 13 languages for Africa Cup of Nations

20 June 2019 the BBC will bring extensive coverage in 13 languages of the 32nd Africa Cup of Nations staged in Egypt. 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 host cities – Alexandria, Cairo, Ismailia and Suez following the progress of all 16 teams, from the group stages in June through to the final on 19 July.

For the first time this year the tournament will feature commentary in English from four female experts hailing from Kenya, Nigeria and Egypt. Egyptian star striker Sarah Essam will be part of our commentary team alongside Sport Africa's Janine Anthony, Michezo Afrika's Lynne Wachira and Egyptian colleague Riham Eldeeb.

Audiences will be able to follow the action with regular updates and analysis of each game. On Friday 21^st June the opening game between Egypt and Zimbabwe at the National Stadium will be brought to listeners through commentary coverage across Africa in English and French.

The team will provide commentary in English on selected games from the group stages and second round matches before bringing listeners in Africa all the games from the quarter finals to the final. There will also be radio commentary in French and Swahili, as the BBC gives listeners more games and more analysis of this newly expanded tournament, which for the first time features 24 nations.

BBC Global News Sports Editor for Languages, Ben Sutherland says:

“The Africa Cup of Nations is bigger – much bigger – than ever before, and I'm delighted that the BBC's coverage is going to reflect that. We will have reporters covering it in 13 languages, on more platforms and services than ever before. Our sports reporting on Africa is unmatched; our passion just as strong as that of the fans, who are always at the heart of every tournament. I am particularly proud that every commentary for the 12 games that we are covering live in English will have at least one woman on air as part of the team. Afcon has changed – and so has the BBC's coverage. It will be bigger, bolder and better in every way. We can't wait.”

From June 24th audiences will be able to interact online with a number of special features including:

Beat the BBC Predictor - When fans guess the results of key matches and compare with the BBC sports experts and share online with friends.

Spot the ball - Audiences will be able to play the timeless classic ' Spot the ball' when they follow BBC Africa language services on their Twitter and Instagram accounts.
Choose African Super XI- Pick your dream African XI team

Radio listeners across Africa will be able to follow the latest developments and analysis on Focus on Africa radio (1500, 1700 and 1900 GMT). Match reports will feature in various programmes across 13 language services.

Sportsworld & World Football, will provide additional coverage of what has become one of the premier tournaments in world football.

Newsday on BBC World Service radio will have sports coverage each morning from 0500 GMT.

The BBC's TV programmes for Africa:

Focus on Africa TV, 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.

Our new TV & Digital programme Sport Africa for an English audience, Sport Afrique in French and Michezo Afrika for our Swahili audience, will produce shows from the tournament looking at how AFCON has helped to nurture future talent to finding out from the players how they cope with extreme heat of an Egyptian summer and bring you competitions and guests who capture the mood of Africa's football showcase .

The Africa Cup of Nations will also be reported by BBC News Afrique (BBC Infos), BBC News Hausa (Labaran TV) and BBC News BBC Somali TV (Caawa Iyo Caalamka) bulletins available via bbcafrique.com, bbchausa.com, bbcsomali.com and partner TV channels.

Social-media savvy fans will be able to follow BBC Africa's coverage on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram via #BBCAFCON, #BBCAfrica #SportAfrica

Audiences will be able to follow the action with live score tables, commentary and analysis from all of the matches at bbc.com/africanfootball

The 13 languages that will cover the Africa cup of nations are as follows:
Afrique, Afaan oromoo, Amharic, Arabic, English, French, Gahuza (in Kinyarwanda/Kirundi), Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Pidgin, Somali & Swahili.

Features

TANZANIA - NDONDO CUP - 21st June

The Ndondo cup is a street football tournament that features 32 teams from across Dar es Salaam. A number of players from the national team can claim to having come through these ranks because league sides send scouts to identify talent at these tournaments.

These tournaments play a key role in keeping young people out of gangs and social problems.

CAMEROON - 25th June

Cameroon's Indomitable Lions will be looking to conserve their title as African champions when they join 23 other teams at this year's Africa Cup of Nations. The initial disappointment at losing the hosting rights to Egypt has faded, however fans must regroup. Songs are being rewritten and large groups of fans are already meeting to practice new dances. We look at the atmosphere in Cameroon ahead of the AFCON.

MOROCCO - 1st July

Herve Renard - from binman to the bench. We meet the rubbish collection crew who worked alongside the French coach in charge of Morocco at AFCON before he switched jobs leaving behind his refuse collecting clothes for the now famous crisp white shirt, which he dons for each match.

Commentary Timetable

21/06/2019 – Egypt v Zimbabwe (Opening game, Group A)
English – Matthew Kenyon, John Bennet, Sarah Essam
French – Babacar Diarra, Yoro Mangara

22/06/19 – DR Congo v Uganda (Group A)
Swahili – Salim Kikeke, Yves Bucyana

23/06/19 – Senegal v Tanzania (Group C)
Swahili – Salim Kikeke, Yves Bucyana
English (Sportsworld) – Lee James, John Bennett, Sarah Essam

26/06/19 – Egypt v DR Congo (Group A)
French – Babacar Diarra, Yoro Mangara

27/06/19 – Kenya v Tanzania (Group C)
Swahili – Salim Kikeke, Yves Bucyana

28/06/19 – Morocco v Ivory Coast (Group D)
English – Piers Edwards, John Bennett, Riham Eldeeb
French - Babacar Diarra, Yoro Mangara

29/06/19 – Cameroon v Ghana (Group F)
English – Janine Anthony, Piers Edwards, Lynne Wachira

30/06/19 – Burundi v Guinea (Group B)
French - Babacar Diarra, Yoro Mangara

30/06/19 – Uganda v Egypt (Group A)
Swahili – Salim Kikeke, Yves Bucyana

01/07/19 – Tanzania v Algeria (Group C)
Swahili – Salim Kikeke, Yves Bucyana

02/07/19 – Benin v Cameroon (Group F)
French – Babacar Diarra, Yoro Mangara