The draw for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations group stage was completed on Thursday, pitting Arsenal’s participants against each other.

BRENTFORD, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 27: Mohamed Elneny of Arsenal thanks the support during the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Brentford and Arsenal at Gtech Community Stadium on September 27, 2023 in Brentford, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
BRENTFORD, ENGLAND: Mohamed Elneny of Arsenal thanks the support during the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Brentford and Arsenal at Gtech Community Stadium on September 27, 2023. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

The 2023 AFCON draw took place on Thursday, and both Egypt and Ghana were placed in Group B, pitting Mohamed Elneny against Thomas Partey in the opening round of the competition.

The two countries are joined by Cape Verde and Mozambique in the group, and with at least two teams progressing from each group, they’ll each be viewed as likely to make the knockout stages.

LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 28: Thomas Partey of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Emirates Stadium on May 28, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND: Thomas Partey of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Emirates Stadium on May 28, 2023. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)

As well as two guaranteed teams progressing from each group, four of the six groups will also send their third-placed team through to the knockout stages.

The tournament will then become a single-game elimination format from the Round of 16 until the final on February 11th.

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The group stage kicks off on January 13th, but the players involved will likely leave the Arsenal camp a bit earlier than that to get prepared for the tournament.

Full AFCON 2023 Group Stage Draw

Egypt's starting eleven pose for a group photo before the start of the 2022 Qatar World Cup African Qualifiers football match between Egypt and Senegal at Cairo International Stadium in the Egyptian capital on March 25, 2022. (Photo by KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images)
Egypt’s starting eleven pose for a group photo before the start of the 2022 Qatar World Cup African Qualifiers football match between Egypt and Senegal at Cairo International Stadium in the Egyptian capital on March 25, 2022. (Photo by KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images)

Group A

  • Ivory Coast
  • Nigeria
  • Equatorial Guinea
  • Guinea-Bissau

Group B

  • Egypt
  • Ghana
  • Cape Verde
  • Mozambique

Group C

  • Senegal
  • Cameroon
  • Guinea
  • Gambia

Group D

  • Algeria
  • Burkina Faso
  • Mauritania
  • Angola

Group E

  • Tunisia
  • Mali
  • South Africa
  • Namibia

Group F

  • Morocco
  • DR Congo
  • Zambia
  • Tanzania
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