AFCON 2023: Super Eagles to face host Côte d’Ivoire in tricky group

The Super Eagles of Nigeria have been drawn in Group A of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) alongside hosts Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, and Equatorial Guinea.

The draw was held on Thursday at the Parc Des Expositions in Abidjan attended by representatives of all 24 participating teams as well as other dignitaries from across the continent..

Nigeria, who are three-time AFCON champions, were seeded in Pot 2 for the draw.

Regarded as the biggest event on African soil, the 2023 AFCON tournament will be taking place in Côte d’Ivoire from 13 January to 11 February 2024.

Tricky group

The Elephants are the hosts of the tournament and they will be desperate to make their home advantage; having only won the tournament despite boasting of some of Africa’s legendary players.

Going into next year’s tournament, Côte d’Ivoire boast of a strong squad that has the likes of Sebastien Haller, Wilfried Zaha, and Franck Kessie among others.

For Guinea-Bissau, they are seen as a rising force in African football.

They reached the round of 16 at the 2019 AFCON and they will be looking to go even further at next year’s tournament

Though they may be easily termed the underdogs in the group, Equatorial Guinea have several talented players who are capable of springing surprises on the big stage.

Up to the task

On paper, the Super Eagles are seen as favourites to qualify from Group A alongside the hosts. The Super Eagles will, however, need to be at their best to avoid an early exit from Group A.

They will need to start the tournament strongly and get off to a winning start. If they can do that, they will be in a good position to qualify for the knockout stages.

As rightly put by Mikel John Obi, the Super Eagles are in a tough group but have what it takes to navigate their way out of the tricky group they find themselves.

“We are in a tough group but we are always favourites,” said Mikel who was one of the legends that conducted Thursday’s draw and a member of the last Super Eagles team that won this same tournament in 2013 in South Africa.

Full Group :

Group A – Abidjan: CIV, Guinea Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria

Group B – Abidjan: Mozambique, Cape Verde, Ghana, Egypt.

Group C – Yamoussoukro: Gambia, Guinea, Cameroon, Senegal.

Group D – Bouake: Angola, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Algeria.