Big guns drawn in 2017 AFCON qualifiers

Big names in Africa football; Nigeria, Egypt, Cameroon and South Africa are drawn in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying draw made in Cairo.

Super Eagles of Nigeria, winners of the 2013 edition and the Pharaohs of Egypt, all time winners of the tournament are in Group G with Tanzania and Chad, while the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon and South Africa will battle it out in Group M with Gambia and Mauritania.

The Super Eagles have been drawn in the same group with seven-time African Cup of Nations champions, Egypt for the 2017 AFCON qualifiers which starts in June.

The Eagles also have Taifa Stars of Tanzania and Chad to contend with for the sole ticket of the group.

Nigeria and Egypt, favourites to qualify from this group failed to qualify for the last edition of the AFCON in Equatorial Guinea earlier this year.

The group winners and the two best second-placed teams will join hosts Gabon at the 2017 AFCON finals.

Egypt have won the biennial Cup of Nations tournament a record of seven times, Cameroon four times, Nigeria three times and South Africa once.

Nigeria and Egypt are more accustomed to playing at the finals, but a dramatic fall from power by the Pharaohs meant they were only among the second seeds.

After winning three consecutive titles in 2006, 2008 and 2010, Egypt failed to qualify for the next three tournaments.

The Pharaohs, who have not appeared in the last three editions of the championship, won the 2006, 2008 and 2010 Africa Cup of Nations back-to-back, winning the trophy in 1957, 1959, 1986 and 1998.

Super Eagles also failed to reach the 2015 finals at Equitorial Guinea following their 2-2 draw against South Africa on the last day which made them fail to defend the title they won two-years ago in South Africa after missing in action at the 2012 finals.

The Arab spring political unrest in Egypt and security challenges severely affected their domestic football with many matches cancelled and other fixtures played in spectator-less stadiums.

Also, the retirements of veteran stars like midfielders Mohamed Abou Trika and Mohamed Barakat and defender Wael Gomaa and the ageing of goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary quenched the power of the Pharaohs.

The two countries last clashed competitively at the 2010 Cup of Nations with Egypt winning a group game 3-1 in Angola.

South Africa were also second seeds, and are a far lesser force than in 1996 when they trounced Cameroon 3-0 in the opening match en route to conquering Africa.

Defending champions Ivory Coast face Sudan and Sierra Leone in Group I, which also includes Gabon.

However, matches against automatic qualifiers Gabon count as friendlies with no points awarded.

Ivory Coast lifted the 2015 edition trophy by edging Ghana 9-8 in a dramatic penalty shootout.

Ghana are in Group H with Mozambique, Rwanda and Mauritius.

Morocco were originally barred from the 2017 qualifiers after refusing to host the tournament this year because they feared supporters could bring the deadly Ebola virus into the country.

But the North African side successfully appealed against the ban to the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

The Moroccans were placed in Group F with the Cape Verde Islands, Libya and Sao Tome e Principe.

Tunisia were another country whose participation was in doubt after accusing African governing body CAF of bias following a controversial 2015 Cup of Nations quarterfinals loss to hosts Equatorial Guinea.

They eventually apologised to CAF president Issa Hayatou and are in Group A with Togo, Liberia and Djibouti.

Zambia, shock winners of the 2012 title when co-hosts Gabon staged the final in Libreville, face Congo Brazzaville, Kenya and Guinea Bissau in Group E.

CAF named Gabon as the hosts, beating rival bids from Algeria and Ghana in a vote by its executive committee at the end of the General Assembly in Cairo.

Gabon replaces war-torn Libya, who withdrew last year as 2017 hosts because of the civil conflict raging in the country.

It will be the second time that the country will stage the finals after co-hosting the 2012 edition with neighbours, Equatorial Guinea.

Only the 13 group winners are guaranteed places at the January-February 2017 tournament in Gabon with just the best two runners-up also going through.

The qualifying rounds begin in June 2015.

Anthony. I Nlebem