2023 AFCON Draw: Nigeria Tackle Hosts, Cote d’Ivoire

• As Egypt and Ghana rekindle rivalry in Group B
• Battle of Lions as Senegal face Cameroon 

BY VICTOR OSOWOCHI – Nigeria’s Super Eagles will take on the host nation, Cote d’Ivoire after the Confederation of African Football on Thursday evening conducted the draws for next year’s TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Cote d’Ivoire 2023.

From an impressive ceremony in the Ivorian capital, Abidjan where current and former football stars, Didier Drogba, Mikel Obi, Sadio Mane, and Achraf Hakimi, featured as Draw Assistants, the Official pairing has set up some exciting matches for the forthcoming tournament.

Hosts Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire and the Super Eagles are set to rekindle their regional rivalry in Group A that looks more like a West African affair with Equatorial Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau as the other group’s competitors.

Defending champions, Teranga Lions of Senegal, who triumphed earlier this year, are drawn in Group C against Cameroon, Guinea, and AFCON debutants, Gambia in what pundits already described as a competitive pool. Interestingly, Senegal will be meeting Cameroon in a friendly in France on Monday as part of their build-up to defend the trophy on Ivorian soil.

For the Pharaohs of Egypt, who will be gunning for a record-extending eighth continental title, they are slated to trade tackles with Ghana in a repeat of the 2010 final which the Pharaohs rallied late to win the trophy. Other countries that will feature with them in Group B of the competition are Cape Verde and Mozambique.

In Group D, the fireworks will involve the Desert Warriors of Algeria, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, and Angola while World Cup semi-finalists, Atlas Lions of Morocco are expected to easily navigate their way through a comfortable Group F that has DR Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia.

After missing the previous edition, South Africa’s Bafana Bafana will be making their return to the continental spectacle in Group E featuring Tunisia, Mali, and Namibia as their opponents.

Matches in the football carnival, holding from 13 January to 11 February 2024, will take place at six venues across Cote d’Ivoire, including newly constructed stadiums in Abidjan, Korhogo, and San Pedro.

Below are all the 16-team group stage pairings of the continent’s showpiece event to be hosted by Ivory Coast for the second time in their football history. The Ivorians first played host to the continental spectacle in 1984, placing fifth (5th) after losing out at the Group stage.

GROUP A: Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea Bissau

GROUP B: Egypt, Ghana, Cape Verde Islands, Mozambique

GROUP C: Senegal, Cameroon, Guinea, Gambia

GROUP D: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Angola

GROUP E: Tunisia, Mali, South Africa, Namibia

GROUP F: Morocco, DR Congo, Zambia, Tanzania

The host nation, Ivory Coast will kick start the tournament with Group A action against Guinea-Bissau while Nigeria will be making their third successive appearance in the tournament. Coach Jose Peseiro is under pressure to lead the West African giants to their fourth AFCON crown.

Quite intriguing is the fact that the Super Eagles should be ready to soar over Ivory Coast with their legend Didier Drogba hoping to see his countrymen win the tournament on home soil.

According to the former African Footballer of the Year and Chelsea legend; “Ivory Coast is very happy and proud to host the AFCON and we will do the best for it to be the best tournament. I know that this group of players will try their best and we always say that disappointment is not Ivorian.”

Speaking after the conclusion of the draw in Abidjan, Drogba further said; “It will be challenging with big teams but we have a strong team and we will do the best we can for the trophy to stay in Ivory Coast.”

Egypt is the most successful nation in the tournament’s history, winning the trophy seven times. Three trophies have been awarded during the tournament’s history, with Ghana, and Cameroon winning the first two versions to keep after each of them won a tournament three times.

The current trophy was first awarded in 2002. Egypt won an unprecedented three consecutive titles in 2006, 2008, and 2010. In 2013, the tournament format was switched to being held in odd-numbered years so as not to interfere with the FIFA World Cup.

Senegal’s Teranga Lions are the tournament’s defending champions, having beaten the Pharaohs of Egypt on penalties in the 2021 Cup final.