Sierra Leone national male football Coach, John Keister is representing Sierra Leone in the 2023 African Cup of Nations qualifying Draw schedule to take place on today Tuesday 19th April, in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Sierra Leone is set to know it opponents as Leone Star is in Pot 2 amongst football nations like South Africa, Benin and Equatorial Guinea.

The first two qualifying matchdays are scheduled between May 30 and June 14, with two more rounds between September 19 and 27 and the final two next year from March 20-28.

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Ivory Coast, who staged the tournament in 1984 when it comprises just eight teams and was won for the first time by Cameroon, will host a 24-team event next June and July.

The Ivorians hope home advantage will help complete a treble after becoming African champions in 1992 in Senegal and again in 2015 in Equatorial Guinea.

Since the Cup of Nations was expanded from 16 teams to 24 three years ago, six stadiums are required and Abidjan (two), Bouake, Korhogo, San Pedro and Yamoussoukro are the Ivorian choices.

On a visit to the west African country this month, CAF president Patrice Motsepe was updated on the stadium building and refurbishments.

The South African heard that good progress had been made except for the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny, formerly the main Ivorian stadium but now second in size in Abidjan to the new national stadium.

Rebuilding behind schedule
Rebuilding work is reportedly only about 25 percent complete at the stadium named after the president who ruled the former French colony for 33 years after achieving independence in 1960.

Retired African stars Lucas Radebe, the South Africa centre-back who captained Leeds United when they were last a top-flight club, and Ivory Coast forward Salomon Kalou will assist with the draw.

Both are Cup of Nations final winners — Radebe with Bafana Bafana (The Boys) in 1996 and Kalou with the Elephants in 2015.

A seeded draw will create 12 groups of four teams with the Ivory Coast taking part to gain competitive match practice, instead of relying on often meaningless friendly matches in the tournament build-up.

Ivory Coast will qualify wherever they finish in the group with the highest placed of the other three teams also booking a place at the finals.

Former Ivory Coast and Hertha Berlin forward Salomon Kalou (R) will assist in making of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying draw in Johannesburg on April 19, 2022.
Former Ivory Coast and Hertha Berlin forward Salomon Kalou (R) will assist in making of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying draw in Johannesburg on April 19, 2022. Ronny Hartmann AFP
All five African qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar — Senegal, Morocco, Tunisia, Cameroon and Ghana — are among the top seeds.

The top 42 African teams in the latest FIFA rankings were automatic entrants while the Gambia, Eswatini, Lesotho, Sao Tome e Principe and South Sudan won preliminary ties and Botswana received a walkover.

Gambia, who took Africa by storm this year when reaching the 2021/2022 quarter-finals, almost missed out with an added-time penalty salvaging a draw against Chad that squeezed them through.

Seeding

Pot 1: Senegal (holders), Morocco, Nigeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Cameroon, Algeria, Mali, Ivory Coast (hosts), Burkina Faso, Ghana, Democratic Republic of Congo

Pot 2: South Africa, Cape Verde, Guinea, Gabon, Benin, Uganda, Zambia, Congo Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea, Madagascar, Kenya, Sierra Leone

Pot 3: Namibia, Mauritania, Guinea-Bissau, Niger, Libya, Mozambique, Malawi, Togo, Zimbabwe, Gambia, Angola, Comoros

Pot 4: Tanzania, Central African Republic, Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Eswatini, Lesotho, Botswana, Liberia, South Sudan, Sao Tome e Principe