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Eagles to host Ivory Coast July 6
The home-based Super Eagles will host the Elephants of Ivory Coast between July 6 and 7 in their first of a two-leg qualifying fixtures for next year's African Nations Championship, the Confederation of African Football has decided.

CAF also stated that the return leg, billed for the Ivorian capital, Abidjan, will come up on either July 27 or 28.

The first leg of this qualifying fixture was earlier scheduled for June 21 or 23 with the return leg in Abidjan to take place on July 6 on 7. However, Nigeria's triumph at the

Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa earlier in February made the Super Eagles eligible for the FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil, which will be from June 15 to 30.

Nigeria has never played in the African Nations Championship, which is the continental tournament for players based in the Africa.

The first edition was staged in Ivory Coast in 2009 with Democratic

Republic of Congo emerging as champions, while Tunisia were triumphant at the second edition staged in Sudan in 2011.

The biennial competition had to give way this year after CAF moved the Africa Cup of Nations from even to odd years. The third edition will now take place in South Africa early next year.

Next year's showpiece will be the biggest in the competition's history, with 16 teams taking part for the first time - double the number that took part in the first two championships.



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