The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is set to draw lots for the qualifiers of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025, marking a significant step towards the tournament scheduled from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, in Morocco. Here’s a comprehensive guide to the draw, including location, time, pots composition, and procedure:
Johannesburg to Host the Draw
The draw for the AFCON 2025 qualifiers will take place in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Thursday, July 4, 2024, at 12:30 GMT. Thi
s vibrant metropolis will serve as the epicenter for determining the groups that will compete for a spot in the prestigious continental championship.
Pots Composition Based on FIFA Rankings
CAF has opted to use the FIFA rankings to categorize teams into pots, ensuring a balanced distribution of strength across the groups. The pots are as follows:
Pot 1
- Morocco (12th)
- Senegal (18th)
- Egypt (36th)
- Ivory Coast (37th)
- Nigeria (38th)
- Tunisia (41st)
- Algeria (44th)
- Cameroon (49th)
- Mali (50th)
- South Africa (59th)
- DR Congo (61st)
- Ghana (64th)
Pot 2
- Cape Verde (65th)
- Burkina Faso (67th)
- Guinea (77th)
- Gabon (83rd)
- Equatorial Guinea (89th)
- Zambia (90th)
- Benin (91st)
- Angola (92nd)
- Uganda (94th)
- Namibia (97th)
- Mozambique (103rd)
- Madagascar (104th)
Pot 3
- Kenya (108th)
- Mauritania (112th)
- Congo (113th)
- Tanzania (114th)
- Guinea-Bissau (115th)
- Libya (118th)
- Comoros (119th)
- Togo (120th)
- Sudan (121st)
- Sierra Leone (122nd)
- Malawi (125th)
- Central African Republic (127th)
Pot 4
- Niger (128th)
- Zimbabwe (129th)
- Rwanda (131st)
- Gambia (132nd)
- Burundi (140th)
- Liberia (142nd)
- Ethiopia (143rd)
- Botswana (145th)
- Lesotho (149th)
- Eswatini (154th)
- South Sudan (167th)
- Chad (178th)
Procedure of the Draw
The draw will divide the 48 participating teams, including the four winners from the preliminary round (Chad, Eswatini, Liberia, and South Sudan), into 12 groups of four teams each.
The draw procedure is crucial as it sets the stage for the qualifying matches scheduled between September and November 2024, ahead of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers resuming in March 2025.
Each group will consist of one team from each pot, with the exception of Morocco, the host nation, which is automatically placed in Group A.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the final tournament in Morocco, aiming to claim the coveted title of African champions.
For those unable to attend the draw in person, CAF’s streaming platforms will provide live coverage of the event, ensuring global access to this pivotal moment in African football.
As anticipation builds ahead of the draw, teams and fans alike await to see how the groups will unfold and which nations will emerge as contenders for AFCON 2025 glory.
