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.

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.

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