AFCON 2023 Groups

With a mere three months remaining until the start of AFCON 2023, the team at Bet&Win is brimming with anticipation for the upcoming tournament. Today marked the draw for AFCON 2023, unveiling the groups and opponents that Bafana Bafana will encounter in the crucial group stage matches.

The group stage is always a pivotal phase that can set the tone for an entire tournament. The mix of top-tier teams and potential underdogs creates an exciting mix that can bring unexpected results and surprises. Top-tier teams want to demonstrate their prowess and establish their dominance early on. On the other hand less-favored teams have the opportunity to make their mark. The group phase of any soccer tournament always has an element of unpredictability and therefore excitement. Below, we delve into the groups and spotlight the teams set to captivate the continent during AFCON 2023.

AFCON 2023 Group Draw

Utilising the latest FIFA world rankings (see below in brackets), the 24 qualified teams were distributed into four pots. Despite being only the ninth-best nation in Africa, Ivory Coast, as the host nation, found itself in pot 1.

The 4 pots contained the following countries:

• Pot 1: Ivory Coast (50), Morocco (13), Senegal (20), Tunisia (29), Algeria (34), Egypt (35)
• Pot 2: Nigeria (40), Cameroon (41), Mali (49), Burkina Faso (58), Ghana (60), DR Congo (64)
• Pot 3: South Africa (65), Cape Verde (71), Guinea (81), Zambia (82), Equatorial Guinea (92), Mauritania (99)
• Pot 4: Guinea-Bissau (106), Mozambique (113), Namibia (114), Angola (117), The Gambia (118), Tanzania (122)

One country from each pot was drawn into each group, resulting in 6 groups with 4 teams each.

AFCON 2023 Groups Overview

Group A

• Ivory Coast
• Nigeria
• Equatorial Guinea
• Guinea Bissau

Group A sees Nigeria, a strong contender for the cup win, grouped with host nation Ivory Coast, along with Equatorial Guinea and Guinea Bissau. Nigeria’s Super Eagles are eyeing a fourth title and anything aside from advancing to the knockout stage will be a disappointment. Ivory Coast aims to leverage home support. Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau are determined to make an impact, add to the competitiveness of this AFCON group.

Group B

• Egypt
• Ghana
• Cape Verde
• Mozambique

The formidable Group B showcases football powerhouses Egypt and Ghana, accompanied by Cape Verde and Mozambique. The anticipated clash between Egypt and Ghana is already marked as a must-watch encounter, with underdogs Cape Verde and Mozambique potentially causing upsets.

Group C

• Senegal
• Cameroon
• Guinea
• Gambia

Defending champions Senegal headline a tough Group C, facing challenges from formidable opponents Cameroon, Guinea as well as Gambia. Particularly the match against Cameroon promises an intense game for the Lions of Teranga. Both Senegal as well as Cameroon are the favourites to advance to the round of 16 in this AFCON group but Guinea and Gambia will not go without a fight.

Group D

• Algeria
• Burkina Faso
• Mauritania
• Angola

Group D highlights the prowess of North African football, featuring Algeria, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, and Angola. While Algeria seeks to replicate past success, Burkina Faso and Mauritania pose threats to upset the established order.

Group E

• Tunisia
• Mali
• South Africa
• Namibia

Group E comprises Tunisia, Mali, South Africa and lastly Namibia. Tunisia’s strong performance positions them as the team to beat, but the strengths of Mali and South Africa, along with the unpredictability of Namibia, make this group intriguing. Let’s hope that Bafana Bafana can show their skills to advance to the knockout stage.

Group F

• Morocco
• DR Congo
• Zambia
• Tanzania

In Group F, Morocco faces stiff competition from DR Congo, Zambia, as well as Tanzania. Morocco has a highly talented squad that showed it potential in the last World Cup 2022 in Qatar. They aims to navigate through a challenging AFCON 2023 group, but the unpredictable nature of African football leaves room for dark horses to emerge.

AFCON 2023 Groups, the anticipation builds

With the AFCON 2023 groups drawn, the overall excitement for the tournament is gearing up. Expect a rollercoaster of emotions, from last-minute goals to clear victories and moreover unexpected defeats.

That is to say, the AFCON 2023 group stage will be full of captivating moments and moreover tons of betting opportunities. 10bet is the official betting partner of Bafana Bafana and therefore definitely a great site for betting on the AFCON. But many other bookies are worth considering who will all feature special AFCON promotions and more. We at Bet&Win can’t wait for the tournament to finally start in 3 months time on 13 January 2024.