The stage is set for the 32nd edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, known as the Total 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and to be hosted by the North African state of Egypt.
Following the draws for the competition held on Friday in Cairo which saw legends of the game on the continent attend the ceremony, hosts of the tournament Egypt as expected were drawn in Group A against DR Congo, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
In other draws, title holders Cameroon were drawn against West African power house, Ghana, Benin Republic and Guinea-Bissau while 3-time winners and 2013 Champions, the Super Eagles of Nigeria are squared up against Guinea, Madagascar and Burundi.
The competition which will be held in an expanded 24-team format from 21 June to 19 July 2019, after the decision of the CAF Executive Committee to move the tournament from the January/February window to June/July for the first time due to Ramadan. .
The six groups for the tournament are listed below:
Group A
Egypt 
DR Congo 
Uganda 
Zimbabwe
Group B
Nigeria 
Guinea 
Madagascar 
Burundi
Group C
Senegal 
Algeria 
Kenya 
Tanzania
Group D
Morocco 
Ivory Coast 
South Africa 
Namibia
Group E
Tunisia 
Mali 
Mauritania 
Angola
Group F
Cameroon 
Ghana 
Benin 
Guinea-Bissau
The tournament was initially scheduled to be hosted by Cameroon but they were stripped of the hosting rights on 30 November 2018 due to delays in the delivery of infrastructure, the Boko Haram insurgency and the Anglophone Crisis.
The opening match will be between 7-time champions Egypt and Zimbabwe.
Temidayo Taiwo-Sidiq is a Journalist, Political Analyst and Satirist with major interest in Nigerian Politics, Governance and Sports.
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