This edition of the tournament was initially planned to take place during the Northern Hemisphere's summer like the 2019 Cup, in order to reduce scheduling conflicts with European club teams and competitions.

[2][3][4][5] However, it was postponed by CAF to 13 January – 11 February 2024 on 3 July 2022 due to the summer weather concerns in Ivory Coast, although the competition retained the original name for sponsorship purposes.

[6][7] This followed the previous edition in 2021 in Cameroon also being moved to the Northern Hemisphere's winter season for similar reasons, albeit coupled with postponement due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the CAF calendar.

They beat Nigeria 2–1 in the final, having also beaten defending champions Senegal in the round of 16 in a penalty shootout after the allocated playing time had ended in a 1–1 draw.

At the time, the announcement of the 2023 host was unscheduled; Guinea was one of the bidders for the 2019 and 2021 editions, and per CAF's assertions, on the basis of the country's presentation "and commitment", the committee "decided to exercise its power to make an immediate decision.

"[9] A CAF executive committee meeting on 20 July 2017 brought about changes for the tournament moving forward, including an increase in group stage participation teams from 16 to 24 from the 2019 edition.

[15][16] Although the tournament retained its original 2023 branding, it was moved to January–February 2024 upon Ivory Coast's request, in order to avoid the West and Central African tropical rain season, which typically reaches its peak around June–July.

The organising board of the 2023 African Cup of Nations, commonly called COCAN 2023, unveiled the competition's mascot "Akwaba", which means "Welcome" in Baoulé language.

The name was chosen to honour deceased legendary Ivorian forward Laurent Pokou, locally known for scoring five goals in the 6–1 victory over Ethiopia at the 1970 edition of the tournament, which had stood as a record to date.

The song features Nigerian artist Yemi Alade, Egyptian rapper Mohamed Ramadan, and Ivorian music band Magic System.

[36] The event was hosted by Senegalese-American musician Akon,[37] whilst the draw was conducted by former African footballers Didier Drogba and Mikel John Obi, alongside current internationals Sadio Mané and Achraf Hakimi.