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 mark 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
