John Obi Mikel among quartet named as draw assistants for 2023 Africa Cup of Nations

By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde

Former Nigeria captain, John Mikel Obi will be one of the draw assistants for the 2023 African Cup of Nations.

The draw which will be held on Thursday, October 12, at the Parc des Expositions venue in Abidjan will see the quartet of Mikel, Didier Drogba, Sadio Mane, and Achraf Hakimi feature as draw assistants.

Mikel who hanged his boot after winning the AFCON in 2013 has also won the bronze medal thrice with the Super Eagles.

His Chelsea teammate, Drogba is a household name in the host country, Ivory Coast as he is the All-Time goal scorer of the Ivorian side with 65 goals.

Two-time African footballer of the year, Mane scored the winning penalty as Senegal won the last AFCON after missing one during regulation time and will also join the draw assistant squad.

PSG star, Hakimi was part of the Moroccan side that reached the semi-final of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Africa’s best finish at the tournament.

Delegations and the coaches from each of the 24 participating nations, CAF legends, international media, CAF commercial partners, showbiz celebrities, and African leaders will be in attendance for the much-anticipated Final Draw, which will well and truly kick-start the final stretch to what is shaping up to the best AFCON ever.

24 teams have qualified for the 34th edition of the biggest football event on African soil.

They are Cote d’Ivoire (hosts), Algeria, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Congo DR, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia and Zambia