Nigeria’s Super Eagles have been drawn against hosts Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau and Equatorial Guinea in Group A of the 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) slated for January next year in Cote d’Ivoire.
The draw was held at the Parc Des Expositions in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire on on Thursday night.
Two-time African Footballer of the Year, and former Chelsea and Ivory Coast striker, Didier Drogba, and former Nigerian international, John Mikel Obi, also drew from the pots, which saw their two nations pitted together.
The hosts Ivory Coast – winners in 1992 and 2015 – will open the tournament on January 13 against Guinea-Bissau.
In other draw highlights, defending champions Senegal are drawn against Cameroon in Group C, where they will also face neighbours The Gambia and Guinea.
2022 World Cup semi-finalists and 2025 hosts, Morocco, will face DR Congo, Zambia and Tanzania.
Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi, who was selected in the 2021 AFCON Team of the Tournament, was also part of the group drawing the balls.
South Africa and Nambia have been pitted alongside Tunisia and Mali in Group E, which looks the most competitive of the draw.
Mozambique, whose absence from the finals since 2010 is the longest of any team involved this time, will play in Group B alongside Mohamed Salah’s Egypt, who missed out on an eighth title on penalties in the 2021 final to Senegal. Ghana and Cape Verde complete the group..
The Nations Cup which features 24 teams and runs from January 13 until February 11, will see the winners and runners-up in each of the six groups, plus the best four third-placed teams, reach the knockout phase.
2023 AFCON Draw In Full:
GROUP A: Ivory Coast, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria
GROUP B: Mozambique, Cape Verde, Ghana, Egypt
GROUP C: Gambia, Guinea, Cameroon, Senegal
GROUP D: Angola, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Algeria
GROUP E: Namibia, South Africa, Mali, Tunisia
GROUP F: Tanzania, Zambia, DR Congo, Morocco.