Group draw for 2023 Africa Cup of Nations lifts Arab nations’ hopes

The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations group stage draw offers a real chance of a strong Arab contingent, both in quality and quantity.

The qualification draw for the tournament, which will be held in the Ivory Coast, took place on Tuesday — just weeks after Senegal defeated Egypt on penalties to lift the trophy in Cameroon.

As qualification formats go, it is simple. Any team that finishes in the top two of the 12 groups of four will make it.

That should be the case for some of the powerhouses. Egypt, who subsequently missed out on the World Cup to the same opposition after another penalty shootout, will be relieved at not being drawn in the same group as the Lions of Teranga. Instead, the Pharaohs have been placed in Group D along with Guinea, Malawi and Ethiopia. 

With the games kicking off in March, the opposition should give new coach Ehab Galal a fairly straightforward start to his national team career, as well as a smooth journey to the tournament, and a chance to make a record 26th appearance and lift the trophy for a record eighth time.

There will be plenty of interest in a meeting between Egyptian talisman Mohamed Salah and his Liverpool teammate Naby Keita of Guinea, the team likely to be the closest challengers.

Algeria will also welcome what looks to be a straightforward group that contains Niger, Tanzania and Uganda. The Desert Foxes have had a worse year than Egypt, arriving at the AFCON in January as defending champions, and finishing bottom of their group with a single point and a single goal to their name. Then came a heartbreaking last-minute loss against Cameroon in the World Cup playoffs. Group F should not present too many challenges at all.

Morocco’s Group K looks a little more challenging, but with