Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Saturday.⁣

A resolution is imminent in the dispute over more than 1,000 bronzes stolen from the former Kingdom of Benin. Germany wants to return all the objects to Nigeria.

Low COVID-19 vaccination rates in Africa Cup of Nations host Cameroon and a fourth wave of the coronavirus across much of the continent could make for sparsely-attended matches when the soccer finals kick off on Sunday. Cameroon announced last month that it would require spectators at Africa's premiere soccer competition to be fully vaccinated and show a negative test result before entering stadiums.

Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Friday.⁣

The 33rd edition of the Africa Cup of Nations kicks off on Sunday and will be featuring 24 teams for the first time in the tournament’s history. The matches will also be played at six stadiums across five Cameroonian cities. Here’s a look at the AFCON 2021 match venues.

Meet the official match ball for the African Cup of Nations 2021 named 'Toghu'. The new official match ball is named after a traditional outfit that is very popular in Cameroon and will be used by the 24 teams during the 52 matches to be played at the competition between 09 January 2022 and 06 February 2022.

A couple of African players, particularly in the Nigeria Super Eagles squad will not be part of the AFCON 2021 due to unresolved issues with their clubs and COVID-19 infections. But GuardianTV takes a look at the best players who have been cleared to take part in this year's AFCON in no particular order.

Egyptian satirist Bassem Youssef made a surprise appearance at the 2016 Bobs - DW's award for online activism. Youssef used plenty of sarcasm to describe the state of democracy in Egypt - but also critizised Western media for pointing fingers at others.

Since the beginning of conflict in northeastern Nigeria in 2009, over 24,000 persons have been reported missing to the International Red Cross. Humanitarian groups say the real number is even higher. DW’s Fred Muvunyi reports from Adamawa state.

Three-time Africa Cup of Nations winner Nigeria and Seven-time champions, Egypt will compete on Tuesday as both sides recognise the value of a strong start in other to lead Group D. Host Dennis Erezi and Guest Analyst Ifeanyi Ibeh preview the match and what to expect.

Tournament favourites Senegal get off to a rocky start, beating Zimbabwe 1-0 thanks to a penalty in injury time. In Group B's other match, Guinea triumph 1-0, with Malawi's squad depleted from Covid-19. Meanwhile, Morocco and Gabon jump to the top of Group C after beating Ghana and first-timers Comoros. Wassim Cornet is joined by sports editors Simon Harding and James Vasina to talk about the highlights of Day 2.

After a long wait, the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations has finally kicked off in Cameroon after COVID-19 forced the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to postpone the tournament.