Sadio Mane: Delight for Al Nassr Star As Senegal Avoid Nigeria in AFCON Draw, Video

• Sadio Mane was 'happy' that Senegal avoided Nigeria during the 2023 AFCON draw
• The Super Eagles are one of the favourites to win the competition next year in Abidjan
• The Teranga Lions didn't get an easy draw, as they were paired with another top nation

Al-Nassr star Sadio Mane was all smiles as Senegal avoided Nigeria during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations draw held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on Thursday, October 12.

The draw was held at the Parc des Expositions d'Abidjan in Ivory Coast, with several African football legends in attendance.

The former Liverpool star was part of the draw assistants at the event, as he helped in completing the draw alongside Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi, Chelsea legends Didier Drogba and John Mikel Obi.

Nigeria were drawn in Group A alongside the host nation, Ivory Coast, as well as Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau, according to Soccernet.

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One of the major highlights of the draw was when Mane showed the paper slip of the three-time champions as the team to join the host nation in Group A.

The former Bayern Munich forward was all smiles while the crowd celebrated that their country avoided Nigeria in the draw.

The defending champions might have avoided the Super Eagles in the draw, but they got another top nation in the history of the competition, which is Cameroon.

Nigeria are one of the favourites to win the competition, and it was clear why Mane was happy to avoid them in the draw as they could cause problems for his team.

AFCON draw: Nigeria to face host nation

Sports Brief also reported that the draw for the 2023 AFCON tournament was held in Abidjan on Thursday evening, with Nigeria facing host nation Ivory Coast, while South Africa were drawn in Group E alongside Mali.

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Top teams from the continent like Senegal, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, and Ivory Coast were all placed in Pot 1 of the competition's draw, with Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Mali, and Burkina Faso confirmed in Pot 2.

The Teranga Lions of Senegal will be looking to defend their AFCON title in the West African nation but will face a tricky group stage against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, who they were drawn with in Group C.