The Confederation of African Football has set Wednesday, January 15 as the date for the 2024 African Nations Championship draw ceremony, just as Nigeria’s 26 home-based players will begin camping at the Remo players Stadium in Ikenne on Monday.
Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda will host other African countries during the tournament’s eighth edition from February 1 to 28, 2025.
The draw will take place at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi, Kenya, with 18 countries competing for the tournament, which is only open to players who play in their respective domestic leagues.
The qualified countries are; Morocco, Guinea, Senegal Mauritania, Niger, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Central African Republic, Congo, DR Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan, Rwanda, Zambia, Angola and Madagascar.
The three co-hosts Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania are seeded as A1, B1 and C1 respectively while the 15 other countries are divided into pots 1, 2 and 3 based on their performances from the last three editions.
Pot 1 has two countries Morocco and the reigning champions, Senegal while Pot 2 has five countries; Guinea, Zambia, Madagascar, Rwanda and Sudan.
Nigeria, Mauritania, Niger, Congo, Angola, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic and Democratic Republic of Congo make up Pot 3.
Meanwhile, the 26 invited players by coach Daniel Ogunmodede will assemble in Ikenne today.
The Super Eagles B, for the first time in the qualification series, bumped Ghana’s Black Galaxies to reach the final tournament, after a 3-1 win in Uyo last week that followed a scoreless first leg in Accra six days earlier.
Some of the players expected in camp include Remo Stars duo Sodiq Ismail and Jide Fatokun who both have potential moves as well as Kano Pillars midfielder Rabiu Ali, captain Nduka Junior, goalkeeper Henry Ozoemena, Ifeanyi Onyebuchi, midfielder Saviour Isaac, and forward Sikiru Alimi.
Nigeria has never won the tournament, having finished third at the 2014 edition in South Africa before losing the final against hosts Morocco four years later.
