Hosts Ivory Coast were joined in Group A by Nigeria in the draw for the Africa Cup of Nations in Abidjan on Thursday.
Fast-improving Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau, who have qualified for a fourth straight edition, complete the mini-league.
Other heavyweight pairings included defending champions Senegal with five-time winners Cameroon, while Africa’s first World Cup semifinalists Morocco face the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Ivory Coast, seeking a third Cup of Nations title, will meet Guinea-Bissau in the opening match on 13 January in Abidjan, the economic hub.
The Ivorian clash with three-time champions Nigeria will attract most attention among the six Group A fixtures.
Nigeria were last crowned Cup of Nations winners in 2013 in South Africa and the Ivory Coast succeeded them two years later in Equatorial Guinea.