Ivory Coast vs DR Congo live stream: how to watch AFCON semi-final online and on TV, team news

Ivory Coast vs DR Congo: preview

The last time Ivory Coast played at Abidjan's Alassane Ouattara Stadium, they got thumped 4-0 and looked destined to crash out at the group stage of their home tournament. One managerial sacking later, they're the most gripping team at AFCON, and one victory away from pulling off a remarkable turnaround.

We're not sure what Emerse Fae's team talks involve, but the Elephants' interim coach can do no wrong. Since being appointed out of sheer desperation, he's led them to riotous wins over Senegal, the holders, and Mali, a game in which they went down to 10 men, but scored in the last minute of normal time and extra time stoppage.

Even then the drama wasn't done, as Oumar Diakite's euphoric celebrations earned him a sending-off that rules him out of today's semi-final clash.

DR Congo are under no pretences about what they're up against. If the vociferous local support isn't challenging enough, there's now an inescapable sense of destiny surrounding their opponents. The Leopards need their main man Yoane Wissa to produce something remarkable for them to stand a chance.

Ivory Coast team: Fofana; Konan, Boly, Ndicka, Singo; Fofana, Seri, Kessie; Gradel, Haller, Adingra

DR Congo team: Mpasi; Mbemba, Inonga, Kalulu, Masuaku; Moutassamy, Pickel, Ellia; Kakuta, Bakambu, Wissa

In this guide, we explain how to get an Ivory Coast vs DR Congo live stream and watch Africa Cup of Nations, with the help of a VPN if you're away travelling at the moment.

Watch an Ivory Coast vs DR Congo live stream

The Ivory Coast vs DR Congo AFCON semi-final is free to watch on BBC iPlayer in the UK, SABC Plus in South Africa, and New World TV in Sub-Saharan Africa. Away from home? You can use a VPN to unblock your stream from anywhere. Full details on how to watch the Ivory Coast vs DR Congo live stream just below.

FREE Ivory Coast vs DR Congo live streams

Where to find FREE Ivory Coast vs DR Congo live streams

The UK's BBC iPlayer (free to watch with a TV licence) will show Ivory Coast vs DR Congo, along with every remaining game of the tournament.

In South Africa, SABC is offering free streams of AFCON games, with NIvory Coast vs DR Congo included.

Fans based in other Sub-Saharan African countries can also tune in for free thanks to broadcaster New World TV.

If you're overseas during AFCON 2023, use the no.1 soccer VPN to unblock your usual stream from anywhere. Find more details below.

How to watch Ivory Coast vs DR Congo from outside your country

If you’re overseas when Ivory Coast vs DR Congo is on and try to watch the live action on your normal streaming service, you'll inevitably find that the coverage is blocked due to geographical rights reasons.

You can get past these blocks, however, by using a VPN. A virtual private network allows you to change your computer, smartphone or streaming device's IP address to a location that is showing your usual coverage.

Use a VPN to stream Ivory Coast vs DR Congo from anywhere:

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How to use a VPN to watch Ivory Coast vs DR Congo

You can get started with a VPN in three easy steps:

1. Download and install a VPN – as we say, our top choice is ExpressVPN.

2. Connect to the appropriate server location – open the VPN app, hit 'choose location' and select the appropriate location. For example, you can use ExpressVPN's UK server to watch Ivory Coast vs DR Congo on BBC iPlayer.

3. Go to the broadcaster's stream – head to the relevant streaming service and watch as if you were back at home.

Global Ivory Coast vs DR Congo live streams

How to watch Ivory Coast vs DR Congo for FREE in the UK

The BBC will show Ivory Coast vs DR Congo for free. Kick-off is scheduled for 8pm GMT on Wednesday evening, and live coverage starts on BBC Three at 7.45pm.

Ivory Coast vs DR Congo is also available to live stream on BBC iPlayer, which is free to watch with a valid TV licence. The platform service works across a huge array of devices, including laptops, tablets, smartphones, media streaming devices like Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Chromecast and Roku, and PlayStation and Xbox consoles.

The game is also on Sky Sports. Subscribers can also tune in via the Sky Go streaming service. If you want to sign up, you can check out our dedicated guide to Sky TV deals and packages for today's best prices.

Don't fancy being locked in to a long, expensive contract? Now Sports offers a more flexible option with Day (£11.99) and Month (£34.99) Membership options.

To access your usual streaming service from outside the UK, you'll need to download a good streaming VPN, as detailed above. 

How to watch Ivory Coast vs DR Congo: live stream soccer without cable in the US

International pay-TV sports specialist beIN Sports is the exclusive broadcaster of AFCON 2023 in the US. Ivory Coast vs DR Congo kicks off at 3pm ET / 12pm PT on Wednesday afternoon.

If you don't have beIN Sports on cable, you can watch Ivory Coast vs DR Congo via an OTT cord-cutting service.

Sling TV is probably the best value around. You'll need one of its base Orange or Blue plans, costing from $40 a month (50% off your first 30 days) and then get its Sports Extra add-on for just $11 extra.

A costlier (but more thorough) option is Fubo. Its standard Pro plan generally costs $79.99 a month for access to more than 180 channels – including beIN. You can try before you buy with the Fubo FREE 7-day trial.

Dish TV and YouTube TV also have plans that carry beIN Sports.

And don't forget, a quality VPN will let you take your preferred streaming service with you wherever you go, even if that's abroad.

How to watch Ivory Coast vs DR Congo: live stream soccer in Canada

beIN Sports is the exclusive broadcaster of AFCON 2023 in Canada too, with Ivory Coast vs DR Congo set to kick off at 3pm ET / 12pm PT on Wednesday.

beIN is available through most cable providers, including Bell, Rogers and Shaw, but there's also the option for cord cutters to use beIN's standalone streaming service beIN Sports Connect.

The service is available for a modest outlay of $14.99 for a monthly pass or a yearly commitment for $99.99 per year. It has dedicated apps for smartphones and tablets, as well as a number of Smart TV platforms.

How to live stream Ivory Coast vs DR Congo in Australia

Fans in Australia can watch Ivory Coast vs DR Congo on beIN Sports. Kick-off is set for 7am AEDT first thing on Thursday morning.

beIN Sports costs $14.99 a month or you can effectively get 12 months for the price of 10 with the $149.99 annual plan. And if you're new to the specialist sports streamer, you can take advantage of its FREE 7-day trial.

For beIN subscribers who find themselves outside Australia while the event is on, you can use a VPN to avoid annoying geo-blocking.

How to watch Ivory Coast vs DR Congo in New Zealand

beIN Sports is the place to watch Ivory Coast vs DR Congo in New Zealand too. The game kicks off at 9am NZDT on Thursday morning.

The service costs $14.99 a month or $149.99 a year, and there's a 7-day FREE trial available for new customers to beIN.