Football

CAF reveals 2025 qualifiers draw

The path to the 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco was created as the Confederation of African Football (CAF) made the pathway with the group stage draws on Thursday.

The draws were made on Thursday in Johannesburg, South Africa, where 48 teams will fight for 23 slots available at the 24-team event to be held in Morocco from December 2025 to January 2026.

The AFCON has had several changes in recent years, with CAF moving the event from the usual January/February to June/July in Egypt in 2019 before returning it to January/February for the last edition on the Ivory Coast.

The 2025 edition was slated for a return to the summer schedule but scheduling conflicts with FIFA competitions and the club world cup forced a change from CAF to December/January.

Meanwhile, hosts Morocco will face Gabon, Central Africa Republic and Lesotho in Group B, although their place has been confirmed as hosts, meaning only one other team can qualify from the group.

Defending champions Ivory Coast, who beat Nigeria in the last AFCON final in February, will face Zambia, Sierra Leone, and Chad in group G, while the Super Eagles will battle some of their World Cup qualifying opponents in Benin and Rwanda in Group D alongside Libya.

Mohammed Salah and Egypt will face Mauritania, Cape Verde, and Botswana in Group C. Qualifiers will start in September.

Groups in full:

Group A: Tunisia, Madagascar, Comoros, Gambia

Group B: Morocco, Gabon, Central Africa Republic, Lesotho

Group C: Egypt, Cape Verde, Mauritania, Botswana

Group D: Nigeria, Benin, Libya, Rwanda

Group E: Algeria, Equatorial Guinea, Togo, Liberia

Group F: Ghana, Angola, Sudan, Niger

Group G: Cote d’Ivoire, Zambia, Sierra Leone, Chad

Group H: DR Congo, Guinea, Tanzania, Ethiopia

Group I: Mali, Mozambique, Guinea Bissau, Eswatini

Group J: Cameroon, Namibia, Kenya, Zimbabwe