GHANA will open their delayed 2021 Africa Cup of Nations tournament with a first-round Group C clash with the Atlas of Morocco on January 10.
In a draw conducted on Tuesday night, the Black Stars were also pitted against Gabon (January 14) and the Comoros Islands (January 18) in a group described by the experts as cagey.
In 2008, hosts Ghana claimed a 2-0 win over Morocco, courtesy of goals from Michael Essien and Sulley Muntari.
Holders Algeria have also drawn former winners Cote d’Ivoire in Group E where they will as well face Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea.
The other tournament debutants, Gambia, will play in Group F alongside Tunisia, Mali and Mauritania.
Nigeria – three-time winners of the competition – have a tough test in Group D where they will face Mohamed Salah’s Egypt, Sudan and Guinea-Bissau.
Sadio Mane’s Senegal, who suffered the heartbreak of losing the 2019 final to Algeria, will take on Zimbabwe, Guinea and Malawi in Group B.
Hosts Cameroon, seeking a sixth title, were put in Group A with Ethiopia, Cape Verde and Burkina Faso, who they will face in the opening match in Yaounde.
The tournament, which features 24 teams and runs from January 9 to February 6, will see the winners and runners-up in each of the six groups, plus the best four third-placed teams, reach the knockout phase.