Chan 2022 Qualification Draw: Ghana face Benin Republic, Comoros tackle South Africa, CAR play Cameroon

Ghana will face Benin Republic in Zone West A, while South Africa will slug it out with Comoros in the first round qualifiers for a ticket to the 2022 African Nations Championship.

The draw held on Thursday in Egypt was steered by Caf head of competition Khaled Nassar and was assisted by Algeria football great Djamal Menad.

There will be 43 countries looking to qualify for the African football showpiece billed for Algeria, with plenty of ambitious teams that believe they can match the efforts from 2020 reigning champions Morocco.

In Zone West A, Liberia will square up against Senegal, while Sierra Leone try Cape Verde for size with the Gambia aiming to negotiate their way past Guinea Bissau in the first round.

Ghana versus Benin Republic is the only first round clash in Zone West B, with the winners over two legs setting up a date with Nigeria’s Super Eagles.

Meanwhile, Cote d’Ivoire vs Burkina Faso, and Togo vs Niger Republic headline the fixtures in the second round.

Central African Republic, Congo, DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, and Chad will lock horns against one another to present the three representatives in the Central Zone.

In the same vein, Central East will present three countries from Ethiopia, South Sudan, Somalia, and Tanzania.

South Africa are eyeing a third appearance at the biennial African football showpiece, albeit, they must scale the Comoros hurdle in the first round.

Chan 2023 was originally scheduled to be played from 10 July to 1 August 2022. Nonetheless, Caf rescheduled it to January 2023, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Morocco defeated Mali in the final of the 2021 edition staged in Cameroon.

DRAW IN FULL

Zone West A

First Round
Liberia vs Senegal
Sierra Leone vs Cape Verde
Gambia vs Guinea Bissua

Second Round
Liberia/Senegal vs Guinea
Sierra Leone/C/Verde vs Mali
Gambia vs Guinea Bissau vs Mauritania

Zone West B

First Round
Ghana vs Benin Republic

Second Round
Cote d’Ivoire vs Burkina Faso
Togo vs Niger Republic
Ghana/Benin vs Nigeria

Central Zone

Central African Republic vs Congo
Equatorial Guinea vs Cameroon
Chad DR Congo

Central East

First Round
Ethiopia vs South Sudan
Somalia vs Tanzania
Burundi Djibouti

Second Round
Ethiopia/South Sudan vs Rwanda
Somalia/Tanzania vs Uganda
Burundi vs Djibouti vs Sudan

Southern Zone

First Round
Mauritius vs Angola
Comoros vs South Africa
Botswana vs Eswatini
Seychelles vs Madagasacar
Malawi vs Zimbabwe
Mozambique vs Zambia