Nigeria has been drawn into Group A for the 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON), and they will face the host nation, Cote d’Ivoire, along with Guinea-Bissau and Equatorial Guinea in the group stage. The draw took place at the Parc Des Expositions in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, with representatives from the participating teams and African football legends like Mikel Obi, Taribo West, and Yaya Toure in attendance.
Notably, the Super Eagles had previously encountered Guinea-Bissau during the qualification phase for the competition, ultimately topping the group standings. In the previous edition of AFCON held in Cameroon, Nigeria also faced Guinea-Bissau and secured a 2-0 victory.
The host nation, Cote d’Ivoire, had their most recent encounter with the three-time African champions in 2013 during the quarter-finals in South Africa, where Nigeria emerged victorious with a 2-1 scoreline en route to clinching the continental trophy.
The defending champions of the competition are Senegal, who triumphed over Egypt in the last AFCON in Cameroon. The 2023 AFCON will feature 24 teams and is scheduled to be held from January 13 to February 11, 2024, after being postponed due to the 2022 World Cup, which took place in December.
