AFCON2023: Hakimi, Drogba, Mikel and Mané, Assistants at Group Phase Draw

12 October 2023 Printable Version

Abidjan - Atlas Lion Achraf Hakimi, Ivorian Didier Drogba, Nigerian Mikel Obi, and Teranga Lion Sadio Mané form the magical quartet who will assist the Confederation of African Football (CAF) at the final draw for the CAF TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations, Côte d'Ivoire 2023.

According to CAF's official website, the right-back for Paris Saint-Germain, Achraf Hakimi, who was part of Morocco's semi-finalist team at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, will officiate at the draw.

Didier Drogba, the all-time top scorer for the Elephants with 65 goals in 105 matches and scorer of Côte d'Ivoire's first FIFA World Cup goal in 2006, will also be during the draw, reported the same source.

Obi Mikel, a former teammate of Drogba at Chelsea, winner of the AFCON 2013 with Nigeria, as well as Sadio Mané, who scored the winning penalty for Senegal in the 2021 AFCON final in Cameroon, will both grace the stage during the final draw in Abidjan, confirmed CAF.

The draw will start at 7:00 PM local time/GMT and will be broadcast live on CAF TV (YouTube).

– The following 24 teams have qualified for the final phase of the AFCON :

Côte d'Ivoire (host country), Morocco, South Africa, Algeria, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cabo Verde, Egypt, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Tanzania, Tunisia and Zambia.