The Uganda Cranes will face their former head coach Sebastien Desabre in the African Nations Championship slated for Algeria in 2023.

The development was confirmed by CAF following the CHAN group stage draw in Algiers, Algeria on Saturday.

Uganda was pitted in Group B which also has the Democratic Republic of Congo and the latter is coached by the Frenchman, Desabre.

West African sides Senegal and Ivory Coast are the other two teams in Group B.

Desabre will meet his former paymasters, Uganda for the first time since leaving the Pearl of Africa in 2019.

During the 46-year-old’s time in Uganda, CHAN is one of the tournaments he took charge of in 2018 at the competition that was held in Morocco.

The former Pyramids FC manager had then succeeded Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic who had left in 2017.

In 2021 the Serbian tactician returned to Uganda for his second stint as Cranes’ head coach and guided them to a sixth consecutive CHAN qualification.

Micho’s charges made it for next year’s tourney after eliminating Tanzania in the qualifiers.

The competition begins on January 23rd until February 4th, 2023 and Uganda will be hoping to make it beyond the group stages for the first time.

On the other hand, DRC is a two-time winner having won the inaugural tournament in 2009 and 2016.

Senegal and Ivory Coast’s best performances came in 2009 and 2016 when they finished fourth and third respectively.

CHAN Groups

Group A: Algeria, Ethiopia, Libya, Mozambique

Group B: Uganda, DR Congo, Ivory Coast, Senegal

Group C: Ghana, Morocco, Madagascar, Sudan

Group D: Angola, Mali, Mauritania

Group E: Cameroon, Congo, Niger