By Akinwale Kasali

The Confederation of African Football, CAF, has held the draw for the qualification series for the 2023 African Cup of Nations at the CAF Headquarters in Cairo, Egypt.

The tournament is scheduled for West African Nation, Côte d’ Ivoire in the summer of 2023.

The Super Eagles of Nigeria is drawn in Group D alongside 2021 AFCON Debutants, Comoros, Tanzania and familiar foes, Sudan.

Sudan was in the same qualifying Group with the Nigeria side in the qualifiers for AFCON 2019 hosted by Egypt with the Super Eagles recording a 3-0 and 3-2 triumph over their North African foes to top the Group.

At the just concluded 2021 AFCON in Cameroon, the Super Eagles defeated the Sudanese 3-1 in their Group D encounter, with goals from Taiwo Awoniyi, Moses Simon and Samuel Chukwueze gave the Nigeria team victory.

The qualifiers – scheduled to begin later this year – will mar a fresh start for the Eagles after their failure to qualify for the 2022 World Cup holding in Qatar.

AFCON 2023 Qualifiers Group stage are:

Group A

Senegal

Burundi

South Sudan

São Tomé and Principe

 

Group B

Morocco

Swaziland

Botswana

Ethiopia

 

Group C

Tunisia

Rwanda

Liberia

Lesotho

 

Group D

Nigeria

Comoros

Tanzania

Sudan

 

Group E

Algeria

Togo

Angola

Central Africa Republic

 

Group F

Cameroon

Malawi

Zimbabwe

Gambia

 

Group G

Egypt

Mauritania

Libya

Mozambique

 

Group H

Mali

Namibia

Guinea Bissau

Niger Republic

 

Group I

Ivory Coast

Kenya

Equatorial Guinea

Sierra Leone

 

Group J

Burkina Faso

Zambia

Congo

Madagascar

 

Group K

Ghana

Uganda

Gabon

Benin Republic

 

Group L

DR Congo

South Africa

Cape Verde

Guinea