AFCON 2021 Group D: Nigeria, Egypt, Sudan & Guinea-Bissau

Egypt will play Nigeria, Sudan and minnows Guinea-Bissau in their bid to win a record-extending eighth African Nations Cup after the draw was made in the Cameroonian capital Yaounde on Tuesday.

The Pharaohs were drawn in Group D of the biennial tournament, which will run from 9 January to 6 February in Cameroon.

Egypt’s toughest opponents are three-time champions Nigeria, who finished third in the 2019 edition that took place in Egypt.

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Egypt met Nigeria twice in the 2017 Nations Cup qualifiers, winning one match and drawing the other. In 2019, a few months before the Nations Cup got underway, Nigeria beat Egypt 1-0 in a friendly.

Sudan are making their first appearance in the tournament since reaching the quarters in 2012.

Egypt crushed Sudan 3-0 en route to their Nations Cup triumph in 2008 but the latter claimed a shock 4-0 victory in a friendly that was played a few months later, which marked their last meeting.

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Guinea-Bissau, the rank outsiders in the group, were eliminated at the group stage on their previous two appearances in 2017 and 2019.

The full Nations Cup draw:

Group A: Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Cape Verde

Group B: Senegal, Zimbabwe, Guinea, Malawi

Group C: Morocco, Ghana, Comoros, Gabon

Group D: Nigeria, Egypt, Sudan, Guinea-Bissau

Group E: Algeria, Sierra Leone, Equatorial Guinea, Cote d’ivoire

Group F: Tunisia, Mali, Mauritania, Gambia