The Super Eagles, who are looking for their first win at the African Nations Championship (CHAN) in May, got off to a rough start when they were drawn into the tricky Group D along with defending champions Senegal and powerhouses Congo and Sudan.
The final draw for the eighth edition of the tournament, with the national team made up entirely of home-based players, was held yesterday in spectacular fashion at the Kenyatta International Convention Center in Nairobi, Kenya.
The tournament, which was to be held next month in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, was postponed until August by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Tuesday, citing “unfinished facilities,” but the final draw was conducted by CAF’s competition director, Samson Adam of Nigeria, Assisted by three East African legends, including Kenya’s MacDonald Maliga, Tanzania’s Murisho Ngasa, and Uganda’s Hassan Waswa, 2018 silver medalist Nigeria will face Senegal, Sudan, and the Republic of Congo in Group D.
Co-host Kenya leads Group A, which includes Morocco, Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Zambia; Congo did not qualify for the World Cup due to FIFA sanctions.
Tanzania, another co-host nation, leads Group B and will face Madagascar, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, and Central African Republic (which won Cameroon). It will face Madagascar, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, and the Central African Republic, which won Cameroon.
Uganda, the third co-host nation, will play in Group C against the Republic of Niger, Guinea, and two wild card holders to be determined by the Confederation of African Football: Group A: Kenya, Morocco, Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia Group B: Tanzania, Madagascar, Mauritania Uganda, Niger, Guinea, Central African Republic Uganda, Niger, Guinea, Q2, Q1, Group D Senegal, Congo, Sudan, Nigeria