Equatorial Guinea, Guinea Bissau, and hosts Ivory Coast will be Nigeria’s first opponents when they begin their quest for a fourth Africa Cup of Nations championship in 2024.
The draw was held on Thursday in Abidjan, Ivory Coast and took place inside a magnificent ceremony inside the brand-new Parc Des Expositions. AKON, a well-known international musician, served as the event’s emcee.
Four of Africa’s biggest current and former football talents, Didier Drogba, Mikel Obi, Sadio Mane, and Achraf Hakimi, assisted the Confederation of African Football as draw assistants throughout the match.
After falling in the FIFA rankings, which were revealed in September, the Super Eagles were seeded in Pot 2.
The three-time African champions knew going into the matchup that they would be facing one of the top-seeded teams in the continent due to their seeding.
Jose Peseiro’s men however escaped a clash with the North African teams, but a match against the Elephants dealt them a difficult opening to their season.
One of the most eagerly anticipated of the tournament’s group stage matches will take place at the 60,000-seat Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan.
Ivory Coast has twice won the competition, in 1992 and 2015.
Notably, in 1980, when Nigeria hosted the football championship, both teams were in the same group and the match ended scoreless.
Egypt was matched in Group B with Ghana, Cape Verde, and Mozambique, the three record winners from the other groups.
Senegal, the defending champion, Cameroon, Guinea, and The Gambia are all in Group C.
Burkina Faso, Mauritania, and Angola will battle it out in Group D with Algeria.
The top-ranked nation in Africa, Morocco, is in Group F together with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Tanzania, and Tunisia. Group E’s other members are Mali, South Africa, and Namibia.
The AFCON 2024 will be held from January 13 to February 11, 2024.
Abidjan, Bouaké, Korhogo, San Pédro, and Yamoussoukro will all be hosting events.
