The Super Eagles will get to know their group and opponents for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) later today (Thursday) at the final draws in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.
The draws, which will take place at the infamous newly-made Parc des Expositions building and will be hosted by global music icon AKON and former African footballer of the year Yaya Toure, will ensure all 24 participating teams know their fate ahead of the tournament in January.
Nigeria, the sixth-ranked country on the continent and 40th in the world, has been drawn into pot two along with Cameroon, Mali, Burkina Faso, DR Congo, and eternal rivals Ghana, with the other teams sharing the other three pots based on their FIFA rankings.
The three-time African champions could face hosts Cote d’Ivoire, Africa’s top-ranked team Morocco, defending champions Senegal, Tunisia, Algeria, and seven-time champions Egypt.
The final draws of the 34th edition of the biggest football tournament on the continent will see the 24 teams split into six groups of four.
For the tournament, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) approved six stadiums across five Ivorian cities for the matches, with the games in each group allocated to a set location before the draw. Six stadiums in five cities will be used:
The approved grounds include the Alassane Ouattara (60,000-capacity) and Felix Houphouet Boigny (33,000-capacity) Stadiums in Abidjan; Stade de la Paix, Bouake (40,000-capacity); Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium, Korhogo (20,000-capacity); Laurent Pokou Stadium, San Pedro (20,000-capacity); and the Charles Konan Banny Stadium, Yamoussoukro (20,000-capacity).
The final draws for AFCON 2023 will be aired live in over 50 countries on CAF TV (YouTube) and across its global TV partners at 7 p.m. local time (8 p.m. Nigerian time).
FULL POT DISTRIBUTION FOR AFCON 2023 DRAW
POT ONE – Ivory Coast (*50), Morocco (13), Senegal (20), Tunisia (29), Algeria (34), Egypt (35)
POT TWO – Nigeria (40), Cameroon (41), Mali (49), Burkina Faso (58), Ghana (60), DR Congo (64)
POT THREE – South Africa (65), Cape Verde (71), Guinea (81), Zambia (82), Equatorial Guinea (92), Mauritania (99)
POT FOUR – Guinea-Bissau (106), Mozambique (113), Namibia (114), Angola (117), The Gambia (118), Tanzania (122)
