It’s official, the next African Cup of Nations has its draw! The long-awaited competition will take place from January 13 to February 11, 2024 and already promises great encounters. Let’s discover together the composition of the six groups and the first shocks that await us.
The draw, which took place at the Parc des Expositions in Abidjan, reserved some surprises and high-level confrontations from the group stage. Cameroon and Senegal will find themselves in the same group, promising an intense duel between two of the best African teams. Likewise, Algeria and Burkina Faso as well as Egypt and Ghana will have to measure themselves from the first matches of the competition.
The opening match pits the Ivory Coast Elephants against Guinea-Bissau, setting the tone for an exciting tournament. Unfortunately for the hosts, their draw was not kind, placing them against the formidable Super Eagles of Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea in a group nicknamed the “group of death”. Group C, which includes Senegal, Cameroon, Guinea and Gambia, also promises to be very tough.
DR Congo, back in the competition, will face Zambia, Tanzania and Morocco, semi-finalists of the 2022 World Cup. The Leopards will therefore have a lot to do to hope to advance through the first round.
The tournament format will allow the first and second in each group as well as the four best thirds to qualify for the round of 16. The winner of the competition will succeed Senegal, CAN title holder.
To carry out the draw, several former glories of African football were present, including Sadio Mané, Achraf Hakimi, John Obi Mikel and Didier Drogba, who received a standing ovation from the audience. Personalities like Yaya Touré, Bonaventure Kalou and the French Eric Abidal, Marcel Desailly and Jean Tigana were also present for this major event in African football.
Initially scheduled for June and July 2023, the African Cup of Nations was postponed to the beginning of 2024 in order to avoid matches in the middle of the rainy season. The competition will take place in six stadiums, spread across different cities in Ivory Coast: Abidjan, Bouaké, Korhogo, San Pedro and Yamoussoukro.
Now that the groups are known, all that remains is to wait until the start of this prestigious African competition. The eyes of the continent will be glued to the pitch, waiting to see which country will lift the Africa Cup of Nations trophy on February 11. See you in January 2024 to vibrate to the rhythm of African football!