AFCON: Can Nigeria survive ‘group of death’? — see full list
Super Eagles of Nigeria
The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) group stage draw, in which 20 countries would compete, held on Thursday night in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.
Due to weather concerns in the host nation, Ivory Coast, the competition, originally scheduled for June and July 2023, was postponed to 2024.
The competition will be held from January 13 to February 11, 2024.
Cote d’Ivoire, will face Super Eagles of Nigeria alongside Guinea-Bissau and Guinea in group A, which many tagged “as the group of death.”
Senegal, the defending champion, and Cameroon, five-time winners of the competition, were paired with Guinea and The Gambia in group C.
The competition record-winners Egypt are in Group B with Ghana, Cape Verde, and Mozambique.
Group D features Mauritania, Angola, Algeria and Burkina Faso, while Group E comprises Tunisia, Mali, South Africa, and Namibia.
On January 13, the Ivory Coast will play Guinea-Bissau in the opening game in Abidjan.
See the full draw below:
Group A
Ivory Coast (hosts), Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau
Group B
Egypt (record winners), Ghana, Cape Verde, Mozambique
Group C
Senegal (defending champions), Cameroon, Guinea, Gambia
Group D
Algeria, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Angola
Group E
Tunisia, Mali, South Africa, Namibia
Group F
Morocco, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Tanzania
All group winners, runners-up, and the four highest-ranked third-placed teams qualify for the knockout stage.
The competition will begin on January 13 and end on February 11, with matches in six stadiums across five cities in the country.
The four highest-ranked third-placed teams and all group winners and runners-up will go into the knockout round.
By Chimezie Amos
