The Confederation of African Football (CAF) will have support from Super Eagles legend John Obi Mikel, his former Chelsea captain Didier Drogba, and the duo of Sadio Mane and Achraf Hakimi as Draw Assistants during Thursday night’s final draw AFCON 2023.

The draw for the 34th edition of the biggest event on African soil will take place at the stunning, brand-new Parc des Expositions site in Abidjan on Thursday, October 12, and anxious football fans will get to see the African heavyweight quartet live.

The renowned hometown hero among the outstanding Draw Assistants is Ivorian icon Drogba, Cote d’Ivoire’s all-time leading goal scorer with 65 goals in 105 international matches, including the nation’s first-ever goal at the FIFA World Cup in 2006.

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Drogba led Cote d’Ivoire to two AFCON Cup finals in 2006 and 2012 with his 11 goals in 24 AFCON games for the Elephants.

Another notable guest is his former Chelsea colleague Mikel, who won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria and won three AFCON bronze medals with the Super Eagles.

The unstoppable Sadio Mane, a respected two-time CAF African Player of the Year, will grace the Final Draw stage in Abidjan.

He netted the go-ahead penalty as Senegal won their first TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations title in Cameroon in 2021.

Mane, who has scored eight goals in 18 AFCON games for the Teranga Lions, is Senegal’s all-time best scorer with 38 goals in international competition.

Right back for Paris Saint Germain Hakimi brings North African star power to the roster of Draw Assistants.

He was a member of the Morocco team that made a remarkable run to the 2022 FIFA World Cup semifinal.

The highly anticipated Final Draw, which will officially kick off what is shaping up to be the best AFCON ever, will be attended by delegations and coaches from each of the 24 participating nations, CAF legends, members of the international media, CAF commercial partners, showbiz stars, and African leaders.