The Super Eagles of Nigeria will face hosts Cote d’Ivoire and recent regular opponents Guinea-Bissau at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in January and February.
The draw for the tournament was held tonight in Abidjan, with music superstar Akon and a host of African football legends, including Nigeria’s Mikel Obi, Cote d’Ivoire’s Didier Drogba and Senegal’s Sadio Mane, all involved in the ceremony.
The other team in Nigeria’s group is Equatorial Guinea, while the toughest group on paper appears to be C, which has defending champions Senegal, five-time winners Cameroon, consistently hard-to-beat Guinea and emerging forces Gambia.
Group B has Egypt and Ghana, who are familiar foes, as well as Cape Verde and Mozambique, while Group D is made up of 2019 champions Algeria, 2013 runners-up Burkina Faso, as well as Mauritania and Guinea.
Tunisia, Mali, South Africa and Namibia are the teams in a tough-looking Group E, with Morocco, Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania completing Group F.
The Super Eagles have been facing Guinea-Bissau regularly in recent competitions, the sides being placed in the same group at the last AFCON in Cameroon and facing off again in the qualifying series for the 2023 edition.
Hosts Cote d’Ivoire will be seeking revenge against Nigeria, who eliminated them in a classic quarter-final clash in Rustenburg on the way to winning the 2013 AFCON in South Africa.
The 24 teams that qualified for the 2023 AFCON were split into six groups, with the top two automatically advancing to the round of 16, along with the four best third-placed sides.
The 2023 AFCON, which was originally scheduled for June and this year but shifted due to weather concerns, will be held from January 13 to February 11 next year in six stadiums across five Ivorian cities.
2023 AFCON GROUPINGS
GROUP A
Cote d’Ivoire
NIGERIA
Equatorial Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
GROUP B
Egypt
Ghana
Cape Verde
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
