2023 AFCON Qualifiers enter full gear on Friday

The qualification series for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations scheduled to hold in January/February 2024 in Ivory Coast will reach its middle point on Friday with exciting fixtures lined up.

Games have been happening since Wednesday when Sao Tome and Principe held Sierra Leone to a 2-2 draw, and Rwanda played 1-1 with Benin Republic.

Thursday also saw some action, with Ghana in action with a 1-0 win against Angola; Algeria also welcomed Niger Republic.

However, on Friday, three-time champions Nigeria would be in Abuja, the country’s capital, to welcome Guinea-Bissau. The game will be the Super Eagles’ third game as they will hope to get one step closer to qualification.

The only time both teams met in history was last year at the AFCON in Cameroon, with Nigerian emerging 2-0 winners.

Nigeria will have the full complement of its players led by Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, while Everton’s Alex Iwobi will be in the middle of the park.

Meanwhile, South Africa will be at home to Liberia in one of the other fixtures, while Egypt will play Malawi. Egypt started the qualifiers slowly, and after two games, they sit the bottom of the table in their group even do they have three points which is the same number of points as every other team.

The goals difference separates the teams in Group D, with Ethiopia top-of-the-table, Malawi second, and Guinea in third, above the Pharaohs.

With Zambia’s 3-1 win against Lesotho on Thursday, Ivory Coast will need a victory against Comoros to steer clear of their opponents that currently sit third and also move into the group’s number one position.

The defending champions Senegal will be at home with Mozambique while Tunisia will face North African neighbors Libya; Cameroon will also have a game against Namibia, with Mali taking on West African neighbors the Gambia.

Daniel Ademiju Idowu