Mikel, Drogba, Mane, Hakimi named AFCON 2023 draw assistant

A distinguished quartet of African football’s current and former stars, including Didier Drogba, Mikel Obi, Sadio Mane, and Achraf Hakimi, are set to assist the Confederation of African Football (CAF) during the final draw for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

This eagerly awaited draw will unfold in the stunning new Parc des Expositions venue in Abidjan tonight, commencing at 7 pm local time, and will be broadcast live on CAF TV via YouTube.

The event is expected to captivate audiences in over 50 countries, with millions of viewers tuning in via CAF’s Official YouTube channel and various CAF Global TV partners.

Didier Drogba, an Ivorian football icon and the all-time top goal scorer for Cote d’Ivoire with 65 goals in 105 international appearances, will be a hometown favorite among the star-studded draw assistants.

Drogba achieved numerous accolades, including scoring Cote d’Ivoire’s first-ever goal in the FIFA World Cup in 2006. During his career, he scored 11 goals in 24 AFCON games and played a vital role in taking Cote d’Ivoire to two AFCON cup finals in 2006 and 2012.

Joining Drogba is his former Chelsea teammate, Mikel Obi. Mikel, who won the Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria in 2013 and secured three AFCON bronze medals with the Super Eagles, is another prominent figure who will partake in this special event.

Sadio Mane, the unstoppable Senegalese footballer who scored the winning penalty as Senegal secured their maiden Africa Cup of Nations title in Cameroon in 2021, is another highly regarded draw assistant.

Mane, a two-time CAF African Player of the Year, is Senegal’s all-time leading goal scorer, with 38 international goals and eight goals in 18 AFCON games for the Teranga Lions.

Completing this star-studded group is Achraf Hakimi, the talented right-back from Paris Saint Germain, who was part of the Moroccan team’s historic run to the 2022 FIFA World Cup semi-finals, adding North African star quality to the list of draw assistants.

The final draw will draw a distinguished audience, including delegations and coaches from each of the 24 participating nations, CAF legends, international media, CAF commercial partners, showbiz celebrities, and African leaders.

This highly anticipated event will mark the commencement of the final stretch towards what promises to be the most exceptional AFCON ever.