2021 AFCON: Nigeria Draws Egypt, Sudan, Guinea Bissau
Nigeria was drawn against Egypt, Sudan, and Guinea Bissau in Group D of the 2021 TotalEnergies African Cup of Nations (AFCON) to be held in Cameroon.
The TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations, Cameroon 2021, will take place from 9 January to 6 February 2022.
Host nation Cameroon will face Burkina Faso in the opening match of the competition on Sunday, 9 January 2022 at the Olembé Stadium in Yaoundé at 5:00 pm (local time) and 4:00 pm (GMT).
Following the draw for the final tournament held in Yaoundé on Tuesday 17 August, the 24 qualified teams were divided into four groups.
AFCON groups:
Group A : Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Ethiopie, Cape Verde
Group B : Senegal, Zimbabwe, Guinee, Malawi
Group C : Morocco, Ghana, Comoros, Gabon
Group D : Nigeria, Egypt, Sudan, Guinea-Bissau
Group E : Algeria, Sierra-Leone, Equatorial Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire
Group F : Tunisia, Mali, Mauritania, Gambia
CAF President, Dr Patrice Motsepe was in the front row to attend the draw, as well as the COCAN President and Minister of Sports of Cameroon, Narcisse Mouelle Kombi.
There were also many football stars present at the highly decisive meeting for the protagonists of the most popular continental soap opera, as Nigeria’s Kanu Nwankwo featured alongside Cameroon Legend Samuel Eto’o.
52 countries took part in the qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations with only 24 places available. The qualified teams were unveiled after a campaign that started in October 2019 and ended in June 2021, due to the one-year hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Five main cities were selected as hosts of the tournament, namely Douala and its Japoma Stadium, Yaoundé and its Ahmadou Ahidjo and Olembé Stadiums, Bafoussam and its Kouekong Stadium, Garoua and its Roumdé-Adjia Stadium and finally the Limbe-Buea venue which houses the Limbe Omnisport Stadium.
Chidi Nwoke/CAF.
