The draw for the group phase of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations was conducted at the Yaoundé Conference Centre in host nation Cameroon on Tuesday evening, with the most notable pool seeing Nigeria and Egypt drawn together.
The draw was conducted by CAF competitions director Samson Adamu, and assisted by African football legends Samuel Eto’o, Gaelle Enganamouit, Rabeh Madjer, Didier Drogba and Asamoah Gyan.
The Pharaohs and Super Eagles hold 10 AFCON titles between them (a record seven for the former, three for the latter) and will be joined by Sudan and Guinea-Bissau in a tricky Group D.
Hosts Cameroon received a kind draw, as they are joined by Burkina Faso, Ethiopia and Cape Verde in Group A. The Indomitable Lions and the Stallions will meet in the tournament opener on Sunday 9 January 2022.
AFCON 2019 runners-up Senegal are joined by Zimbabwe, Guinea and Malawi in Group B; Group C sees heavyweights Morocco and Ghana joined by Gabon and debutants Comoros; and the other first-timers, Gambia, will face up to Tunisia, Mali and Mauritania in Group F.
Reigning champions Algeria will have an epic showdown with Ivory Coast in Group E, which also features Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea.
The 2021 AFCON will be the 33rd edition of the tournament, scheduled to run from 9 January to 6 February 2022.
The six stadiums selected to host matches are the Paul Biya Stadium and Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo in the capital Yaoundé; the Japoma Stadium in Douala; the Limbe Stadium in Limbe; the Kouekong Stadium in Bafoussam; and the Roumde Adjia Stadium in Garoua.
The opening ceremony as well as the opening match of the tournament and the final are set to take place at the newly built 60,000 seater Paul Biya Stadium in Yaoundé.