2023 AFCON: Hosts Cote d’Ivoire drawn West African rivals Nigeria
The 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) draw has produced some tricky pairings as hosts and two-time winners Cote d’Ivoire have been paired in Group A alongside West African rivals Nigeria.
Ranked sixth on the continent, Nigeria have won the competition three times, and will be the toughest opponents for the Ivorians who are ranked ninth in Africa. Completing Group A are 19th-ranked Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau who are ranked 22nd on the continent.
With seven trophies, the Pharaohs of Egypt are the most decorated country in the history of AFCON and are currently ranked fifth in Africa. The Egyptians are tipped to win Group B which includes four-time champions Ghana who are currently ranked 11th in Africa. 14th-ranked Cape Verde and 26th-ranked Mozambique complete Group B.
Defending champions Senegal are currently ranked second in Africa and are the top seed in Group C. They will do battle with five-time champions Cameroon who are seventh-ranked team on the continent. 15th-ranked Guinea and The Gambia, who are ranked 29th, will be hoping to cause an upset in Group C.
With two winners’ medals to their name, Algeria are currently ranked 4th in Africa. They will contest Group D with 10th ranked Burkina Faso, Mauritania who are ranked 21st as well as 28th ranked team Angola.
2004 champions Tunisia are the Group E seeding team. The third-ranked team in Africa are drawn alongside Mali who are ranked eighth, 13th ranked South Africa as well as Namibia, ranked 27th in Africa.
World Cup semi-finalists Morocco are one of the favorites of the tournament but they normally flatter to deceive in the AFCON. The 1976 champions go into the competition as the No.1 ranked team in Africa. They will have to prove a point in Cote d’Ivoire when they engage 12th-ranked DR Congo, Zambia who are ranked 16th, and the 31st-ranked Tanzania in Group F.
The 2023 AFCON, which is the 34th edition in the tournament’s history, will take place in Cote d’Ivoire from January 13 to February 11, 2024. The competition will start with 24 countries in the Group stage as winners and runners-up in each of the six groups, plus the best four third-placed teams, qualify to the knockout stage.
CAF originally scheduled the tournament for June and July 2023 but were forced to move it to January and February next year due to weather concerns.
The official draw of the 2023 AFCON is out of the way. The 24 qualified teams are now aware of their group opponents. With about three months to kick off, the Organizing Committee (COCAN’), in collaboration with the Government of Côte d’Ivoire and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) can begin the process of saying ‘AKWABA’ to the fans of African football jamboree.
‘AKWABA’ is the name of the official Mascot of the tournament. It literally means ‘welcome’ which symbolizes the hospitality, friendship, generosity, and team spirit of the tournament.
According to the organizers, the Mascot offers an authentic experience of Ivorian hospitality that connects with fans, players, and nations, and celebrates the spirit of teamwork by promoting cooperation, mutual respect, and fair play.
