Following the draw on Thursday October 12 in Abidjan, Senegal, the reigning African champion, will face Cameroon in one of the shocks of the group stage of the African Cup of Nations (CAN). 2024, which will take place from January 13 to February 11 in Ivory Coast. The Teranga Lions will also face Guinea and Gambia in Group C.
Another favorite of the competition, Morocco, semi-finalist of the 2022 World Cup, finds itself in a group F within its reach, along with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Zambia and Tanzania.
Ivory Coast, the host country, inherits Nigeria and two a priori more affordable opponents in Group A: Equatorial Guinea and, in the opening match, Guinea-Bissau, on January 13 at the stadium ‘Ebimpé, near Abidjan.
In group B, Egypt will face Ghana, Cape Verde and Mozambique, while group D will bring together Algeria, Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Angola. Finally, in group E, Tunisia and Mali will be favorites, ahead of South Africa and Namibia.
The first and second in each group, as well as the four best third-placed teams, will advance to the round of 16.
The draw was made by Senegalese striker Sadio Mané, Moroccan defender Achraf Hakimi, former Nigerian midfielder John Obi Mikel and former Ivorian star Didier Drogba, who received a standing ovation from the audience. Other former glories, such as the Ivorians Yaya Touré or Bonaventure Kalou or the French Eric Abidal, Marcel Desailly and Jean Tigana, were also present.
Initially scheduled for June and July 2023, the CAN was postponed to early 2024 in order to avoid the matches taking place in the middle of the rainy season. It will take place in six stadiums: Abidjan (two venues), Bouaké (center), Korhogo (north), San Pedro (southwest) and the capital, Yamoussoukro (center).