BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

The draw for the 2024 African Nations Cup has thrown up intriguing fixtures for Nigeria Super Eagles-B. They managed to avoid the three co-hosts of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, but drew stiff opponents from the defending champions and African powerhouse, Senegal in Group D.

They also have Congo, two-time quarterfinalists to contend with. The other team in Group D is Sudan, a two-time third-place finisher.  

Kenya, debutant and one of the three host countries even has a more daunting challenge in Group A.  

They will face two teams who are two-time champions, Morocco and DR Congo. In addition, they will face Angola, runners-up in 2011 and Zambia, third-place finishers at the inaugural edition in 2009.

Kenya becomes the 34th country to feature at the African Nations Championship. Group A where the Kenyans will be competing has five teams.

In Group B, Tanzania, another host country will be facing the quartet of Madagascar, Mauritania, Burkina Faso and the Central African Republic 

Group C has the third host nation, Uganda along with Niger Republic, Guinea and two other teams that will emerge from the second-tier qualifying series.

THE GROUPS

• Group A: Kenya, Morocco, Angola, DR Congo, Zambia
• Group B: Tanzania, Madagascar, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic 
• Group C: Uganda, Niger, Guinea, Q2, Q1,
• Group D: Senegal, Congo, Sudan, Nigeria.

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Nigeria, unranked will be in the third pot, comprising the least strong teams, for the final draw of the 2024 African Nations Championship.

In the same Pot C with Nigeria are DR Congo, Zambia, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic and the two other teams that will emerge in the second-tier qualifying tournament that will be held.

The three co-host nations of Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda are already allocated the top positions in Groups A to C respectively. Senegal, the defending champions, will head Group D.

When the draw ceremony begins, the first team drawn from Pot A will go to Group A as the second seed of the group already headed by Tanzania. The second team drawn from the same Pot A will join Kenya as Team B2. From Pot A, the third team picked will join Uganda as Team C2 while the fourth team will be in Group D headed by Senegal.

The teams in Pot A are Morocco, Niger, Congo and Madagascar. The same procedure will be done for Pot B which comprises Mauritania, Guinea, Sudan and Angola. The first drawn will be allocated A3 in Group A headed by Tanzania.

This will be followed by the next drawn team as B3 in the group headed by Kenya while the next will go into Groups C and D to be the third teams respectively joining Uganda and Senegal.  

The same procedure will be taken for the Pot C comprising Nigeria, four other teams and the two yet-to-emerge qualifiers.

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Hours before the final draw for the 8th edition of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024, a logo has been unveiled for the competition which has been postponed till August.

According to CAF, the championship’s organisers, the new look for the tournament brings a fresh identity and emphasises its deep-rooted connections to African football and culture.

It comes with a new CHAN 2024 trophy that features a sleek, contemporary design, combining gold and silver elements, representing the prestige and growing stature of the tournament.

A significant detail is the 54 distinct lines encircling the trophy, symbolizing the 54 African nations united with a map of the continent at its core.

This element underscores the championship’s celebration of diversity and unity across the continent. Each line represents the foundation of African football, a pathway carved by our passion and skill, a tribute to our players and our dreams.

The new trophy stands as a powerful symbol of African football’s ongoing progress and our shared passion for the game.

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