Sierra Leone Captain, Stephen Caulker says Playing Nigeria in their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers will be tough, as they seek to qualify for a second consecutive AFCON.

The Leone Stars are paired alongside Nigeria, Guinea-Bissau, and Sao Tome and Principe/Mauritius in the top two teams qualifying for the continental showpiece in Ivory Coast from June 23 to July  2023.

The Leone Stars open their qualifiers against Nigeria at the Moshood Abieola National Stadium in Abuja in June and the former Tottenham Hotspur and Queens  Park Rangers defender believe the tie will be one of their most difficult.

”Our qualifying group is going to be tough, obviously, Nigeria will be looking to bounce back from their disappointment following their elimination to Ghana in the 2022 World  Cup,” Caulker told CAF online.