October 13, (THEWILL) – The group stage draw for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations football tournament took place on Thursday, in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. The host nation was drawn into Group A alongside rivals Nigeria, as well as Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau.
Other top matchups in the group stage will see defending champions Senegal face five-time winners Cameroon in Group C, while Africa’s first World Cup semi-finalists Morocco will play the Democratic Republic of Congo in Group F.
Ivory Coast and Nigeria have won three Africa Cup of Nations tournaments between them, with Ivory Coast seeking a third title as hosts. Their clash on 13 January will be an early highlight.
Reigning champions Senegal are aiming to retain their crown but face a tricky group alongside Cameroon, Guinea and the Gambia. Meanwhile, Egypt and Ghana will battle for supremacy in Group B.
The tournament was originally set for mid-2023 but was moved to January/February 2024 over weather concerns. This could see some stars like Mohamed Salah miss club games for Liverpool and other European teams. The final will take place on 11 February as the continent’s top 24 sides compete across six venues in Ivory Coast.
The full draw is as follows:
Group A
Ivory Coast
Nigeria
Guinea Bissau
Equatorial Guinea
Group B
Mozambique
Cape Verde
Ghana
Egypt
Group C
Gambia
Guinea
Cameroon
Senegal
Group D
Angola
Mauritania
Burkina Faso
Algeria
Group E
Namibia
South Africa
Mali
Tunisia
Group F
Tanzania
Zambia
DR Congo
Morocco
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
