AFCON 2021: Nigeria drawn in group D with Egypt

Nigeria have been drawn in group D for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations alongside Egypt, Sudan and Guinea Bissau.

Gernot Rohr’s side will begin their campaign with a fixture against seven-time winners Egypt at Garoua Roudme Adjia Stadium on 11th January 2022.

The last meeting between the two countries in the competition came in 2010, with the Pharaohs beating Nigeria 3-1.

But since the 2010 meeting, the two giants have clashed four times — two times in AFCON qualifiers and twice in international friendly.

Egypt won the first friendly — back in 2012 — 2-1, while Nigeria won the second, which came in 2019.

In AFCON 2017 qualifiers, a Mohamed Salah stoppage-time goal cancelled out Oghenekaro Etebo’s 60th-minute strike to hand Egypt a well-deserved point, but the north Africans won the second leg 1-0 through Mohamed Sabhy’s second-half goal, denying Nigeria a place in the finals.

Nigeria last won the biennial competition in 2013, under Amodu Shuaibu — who passed on in 2016.

After clinching the title in 2013, the Super Eagles failed to qualify for the next two tournaments, before returning in 2019 in Egypt — where they reached the semi-finals before being beaten by eventual winners Algeria through a Riyad Mahrez free-kick.

Hosts Cameroon are in group A with Burkina Faso, Ethiopia and Cape Verde.

Holders Algeria will come against Sierra Leone, Equatorial Guinea and Cote d’Ivoire in group E.

The top two teams in each group will qualify for the knockout stage along with the four best third-placed finishers.

Total AFCON 2021 Draw

Group A

🇨🇲 Cameroon
🇧🇫 Burkina Faso
🇪🇹 Ethiopia
🇨🇻 Cape Verde

Group B

🇸🇳 Senegal
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
🇬🇳 Guinea
🇲🇼 Malawi

Group C

🇲🇦 Morocco
🇬🇭 Ghana
🇰🇲 Comoros
🇬🇦 Gabon

Group D

🇳🇬 Nigeria
🇪🇬 Egypt
🇸🇩 Sudan
🇬🇼 Guinea Bissau

Group E

🇩🇿 Algeria
🇸🇱 Sierra Leone
🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea
🇨🇮 Cote d’Ivoire

Group F

🇹🇳 Tunisia
🇲🇱 Mali
🇲🇷 Mauritania
🇬🇲 Gambia