African Cup of Nations kicks off today

The eagerly awaited Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is poised to commence as Ivory Coast, the hosting nation, gears up to clash with Guinea-Bissau in the tournament’s inaugural match.

The showdown is scheduled to take place at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan, boasting a seating capacity of 60,000.

The competition will feature 24 teams, with Ivory Coast, the victors in 1992 and 2015, looking to make a strong start in their opening fixture against Guinea-Bissau.

Egypt, boasting seven titles, remains the most successful team in AFCON history, with their latest triumph dating back to 2010.

Cameroon follows as the second most successful team with five wins, trailed by Ghana with four, Nigeria with three, and Ivory Coast, Algeria, and the Democratic Republic of Congo with two each.

The defending champions, led by Sadio Mane, are Senegal, who clinched their maiden AFCON title in the 2021 final against Egypt.

Originally slated for 2023, the AFCON was rescheduled to 2024 due to adverse weather conditions in Ivory Coast.

The 34 edition of the tournament includes six groups of four teams and is set to culminate in the grand finale on February 11 in Abidjan.

Paul Onuachu was added to Nigeria’s squad following an injury to fellow player Sadiq Umar.

The Super Eagles defeated a Dubai club 12-0 in a friendly at their Abu Dhabi training base early January, but however lost to Guinea 2-0 days later

Meanwhile, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has encouraged the men’s football team to give their best performance during the tournament

Here are the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations groups

• Group A: Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau
• Group B: Egypt, Ghana, Cape Verde, and Mozambique
• Group C: Senegal, Cameroon, Guinea, and The Gambia
• Group D: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, and Angola
• Group E: Tunisia, Mali, South Africa, and Namibia
• Group F: Morocco, DR Congo, Zambia, and Tanzania