Fast-improving Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau, who have qualified for a fourth straight edition, complete the mini-league.
Other heavyweight pairings included defending champions Senegal with five-time winners Cameroon, while Africa’s first World Cup semi-finalists Morocco face the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Ivory Coast, seeking a third Cup of Nations title, will meet Guinea-Bissau in the opening match on January 13 in Abidjan, the economic hub.
The Ivorian clash with three-time champions Nigeria will attract most attention among the six Group A fixtures.
Nigeria were last crowned Cup of Nations winners in 2013 in South Africa and the Ivory Coast succeeded them two years later in Equatorial Guinea.
Morocco were drawn in Group F with DR Congo, Zambia and Tanzania.
The Atlas Lions have won the premier African football competition only once, in 1976. Their best performance since then was finishing runners-up to 2004 hosts Tunisia.
Defending champions Senegal are in Group C with five-time winners Cameroon, Guinea and the Gambia.
South Africa will face Tunisia, Mali and Namibia in Group E while Ghana take on Egypt, Cape Verde and Mozambique in Group B.
Group D, comprising Algeria, Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Angola, completes the line-up for a tournament that will reach a climax with the final on February 11.
Senegalese-American singer Akon hosted the draw, assisted by current and former African stars Sadio Mane, Achraf Hakimi, Didier Drogba and Mikel John Obi.
Ivory Coast are hosting the premier African sport event for a second time, and hoping for much better results than in 1984.
Early elimination Then, the Elephants began with a convincing victory over Togo, but losses to Egypt and eventual champions Cameroon meant elimination after the first round.
It was the only time in nine hostings of the Cup of Nations in west Africa that the home country failed to reach the knockout stage.
Just eight nations featured in that edition — a third of the number who will arrive in the west African country for the next edition.
The tournament should have taken place already as it was originally scheduled for June and July this year.
But had it gone ahead, matches would have been staged during the rainy season and CAF president Patrice Motsepe said “it was too great a risk to play matches in potential downpours”.
This means stars like Mohamed Salah of Liverpool and Victor Osimhen of Napoli could be absent from their clubs for five weeks, depending on how record seven-time champions Egypt and Nigeria fare.
Ivory Coast will stage the Cup of Nations at six stadiums — two in Abidjan and one each in Bouake, administrative capital Yamoussoukro, Korhogo and San Pedro.
Friendly fixtures meant many coaches, including Aliou Cisse of Senegal and Rigobert Song of Cameroon, were unable to attend the draw.
Bayelsa State PFAN Visit Bayelsa United FC Management Over Unpaid Bonuses Owed Its Players
Sequel to a press release making rounds in the media space on the huge amount of money of unpaid match bonuses by the management of Bayelsa United FC of Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, to players of the team, the Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria (PFAN), through the office of the PFAN General Secretary has responded swiftly.
PFAN in its official press release has mandated the Chairman of Bayelsa State Caretaker Committee, Barrister (Chief) Rumson Victor Baribote and his committee, to visit the club and investigate the issues, in view of the disregard for the players welfare by the management of the club.
PFAN also tasked the Committee led by Chief Baribote to address the issue within the next five days and report back.
The press release signed by the PFAN General Secretary, Comrade Edema Fuludu, also added, “we trust that the chairman and management of Bayelsa United FC, will with all responsibility as a Nigeria Premier Football League side, cooperate with Bayelsa State PFAN.”
Plateau United GM Mutla Confident of Survival Amid NPFL Struggles
Plateau United General Manager, Habila Hosea Mutla, remains optimistic that the club will avoid relegation this season despite their current position in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL).
The former champions sit 16th on the table with 24 points from 22 matches. To address their struggles, the Jos-based club recently signed four new players to strengthen their squad.
“Yes, we’ve strengthened the squad with some fresh legs during the January transfer window,” Mutla said. “And it’s our hope that the new arrivals will bring the much-needed spark to the team.”
Heartland confident of victory in NPFL Clash against Katsina United
Heartland FC are confident of securing a win in their Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) matchday 23 clash against Katsina United.
The Naze Millionaires will face Katsina United at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium on Friday.
Under the guidance of coach Emmanuel Amuneke, Heartland remain unbeaten in their last four league matches, and they are determined to extend their strong form.
“A trip to Katsina is in the offing and the plan is to cage the Chanji Boys at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium on Friday,” Heartland wrote on X.
“Let’s go for it because we are the Naze Millionaires!”