The 2018 African Nations Championship (CHAN) kicks off in Morocco on Saturday.

Sixteen nations will battle it out to be crowned the winners of Africa’s second-tier international competition.

Reigning champions the Democratic Republic of Congo will not be present to defend their crown after being beaten out of the qualification campaign by rivals Congo.

Namibia and Equatorial Guinea are the only teams to make their debut appearance at the tournament this year.

Hosts Morocco will play Mauritania in the opening match of the tournament.

Full 2018 CHAN Group Stages Fixtures:

13 January 2018
Morocco vs Mauritania (Group A – 21:30)

14 January 2018
Guinea vs Sudan (Group A – 16:30)
Cote d Ivoire vs Namibia (Group B – 18:30)
Zambia vs Uganda (Group B – 21:30)

15 January 2018
Libya vs Equatorial Guinea (Group C – 18:30)
Nigeria vs Rwanda (Group C – 21:30)

16 January 2018
Angola vs Burkina Faso    (Group D – 18:30)
Cameroon vs Congo (Group D – 21:30)

17 January 2018
Morocco vs Guinea (Group A – 18:30)
Sudan vs Mauritania (Group A – 21:30)

18 January 2018
Cote d’Ivoire vs Zambia (Group B – 18:30)
Uganda vs Namibia (Group B – 21:30)

19 January 2018
Libya vs Nigeria (Group C – 18:30)
Rwanda vs Equatorial Guinea (Group C – 21:30)

20 January 2018
Angola vs Cameroon (Group D – 18:30)
Congo vs Burkina Faso (Group D – 21:30)

21 January 2018
Sudan vs Morocco (Group A – 18:30)
Mauritania vs  Guinea (Group A – 21:30)

22 January 2018
Namibia vs Zambia (Group B – 18:30)
Uganda vs Cote d’Ivoire (Group B – 21:30)

23 January 2018
Equatorial Guinea vs Nigeria (Group C – 18:30)
Rwanda vs Libya (Group C – 21:30)

24 January 2018
Congo vs Angola (Group D – 18:30)
Burkina Faso vs Cameroon (Group D – 18:30)