The draws for 2023 AFCON Round 16 matches has been confirmed with Ivory Coast, Namibia, and Mauritania sneaking into the next round, LCSoccerHub Reports.
After a 13-day rollercoaster group stage run, the die is cast for another thriller AFCON phase, pitting the best 16 teams in the tournament so far.
All group winners and runners-up booked automatic ticket to the knockout of the tournament with four more third-placed teams handed tickets to complete the round 16 opening knockout phase.
2023 AFCON group winners, runner-up, and best third-Placed teams
Defending champions Senegal are not slowing down on their bid to defend their AFCON crown. The Teranga Lions won Group B with maximum 9 points with Cameroon as runners. Guinea qualifed from the group among the best third-placed teams after garnering 4 points.
Equatorial Guinea won Group A with a superior goal difference after garnering same points with Nigeria (7) who finished as runners-up.
Tournament hosts Ivory Coast sneaked into the knockout with just 3 points after Zambia suffered a 1-0 defeat to Morocco in their final group game.
Cape Verde won Group B with 7 points, 4 points better than Egypt, who finished as runners-up with 3 points. Ghana crashed out the competition, finishing third with 2 points.
Group D had a third-placed team Mauritania booked their ticket to the next round of the competition with 3 points. Angola topped the group with 7 points, 3 points better than runners-up Burkina Faso.
Group E was apparently the toughest group. Mali topped the group with 5 points while South Africa and Namibia, who have also booked tickets for round 16, finished second and third respectively with 4 points. Tunisia crashed out finishing bottom with 2 points.
Morocco topped Group F with 7 points, 4 points better than runners-up DR Congo.
2023 AFCON Round 16 Draws
Saturday, January 27
Angola v Namibia
Nigeria v Cameroon
Sunday, January 28
Equatorial Guinea v Guinea
Egypt v Democratic Republic of Congo
Monday, January 29
Cape Verde v Mauritania
Senegal v Ivory Coast
Tuesday, January 30
Mali v Burkina Faso
Morocco v South Africa
