CAF carried out the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2023) draw on Thursday 12 October. Nigeria will face Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau in Group A.
The draw ceremony was held in Abidjan, and legendary players like Didier Drogba and John Mikel Obi were involved, as well as current players Sadio Mane and Achraf Hakimi.
It's important to note that the Super Eagles last faced Ivory Coast in this tournament in the 2013 quarter-finals, and both Mikel and Drogba started that game.
The Super Eagles defeated the Ivorians en route to the title, their most recent to date.
It's also worth keeping an eye out for Equatorial Guinea, who have not lost a game since June. At the time of writing, Juan Micha's men are on a nine-match unbeaten run, with seven wins and two draws; they'll look to cause some problems for the Super Eagles.
Senegal and Cameroon clash in group of death
Defending champions Senegal were drawn alongside Gambia, Guinea and the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon in Group C, in what is considered to be the Group of death. Five-time champions Cameroon are expected to give the Senegalese a run for their money, while Guinea and Gambia will both be eyeing a place in the knockout stages.
Egypt to square off against Ghana
Two of the most successful teams in the Africa Cup of Nations will lock horns in Group B. Seven-time champions Egypt have won the AFCON title more than every other team in history; they'll face four-time champions Ghana, along with Cape Verde and Mozambique. We would like to point out that the last time these teams met in this competition was in the 2017 group stages, where the Pharaohs won by a lone goal.
Tunisia and Mali drawn together again!
Tunisia and Mali drew swords in the previous edition of the Africa Cup of Nations last year, where the Malians came out on top in the group stage. Tunisia got their revenge a couple of months later, when they clinched a FIFA World Cup spot at Mali's expense. These teams will meet once more in Group E, they've been drawn alongside Namibia and South Africa's Bafana Bafana.
