The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed the date for the highly anticipated draw for the final phase of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The draw will take place on January 27, 2025, in Rabat, Morocco, as announced by CAF President Patrice Motsepe on Monday during the CAF Executive Committee meeting in Marrakech.
Motsepe revealed that the draw will be a key moment in the lead-up to the tournament, which is set to kick off in December 2025 and conclude in January 2026.
While the tournament’s official start date is December 21, 2025, the final match will take place on January 18, 2026.
This timing places the event within the festive period, generating significant excitement for fans and players alike.
The distribution of the 24 teams that have qualified for the tournament will be determined using the FIFA rankings, which are set to be announced later this week.
These rankings will influence the seeding for the draw, which will place the teams into four pots. The anticipated pots are as follows:
Pot 1
- Morocco
- Senegal
- Egypt
- Nigeria
- Algeria
- Ivory Coast
Pot 2
- Tunisia
- Cameroon
- Mali
- DR Congo
- South Africa
- Burkina Faso
Pot 3
- Angola
- Gabon
- Uganda
- Equatorial Guinea
- Zambia
- Benin
Pot 4
- Mozambique
- Comoros
- Sudan
- Tanzania
- Zimbabwe
- Botswana
The draw will determine how the 24 teams will be divided into six groups, each containing four teams.
The teams will then compete for a place in the knockout stages, with the top two teams from each group and the four best third-place teams advancing to the next round.
CAF’s decision to hold the draw in Rabat reflects Morocco’s growing prominence in African football, particularly following their remarkable performance at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, where they became the first African team to reach the semifinals.
With the draw now confirmed, the footballing world eagerly awaits the final confirmation of the groupings and the tournament’s official build-up.
Teams will be hoping for favorable groupings as they prepare for what promises to be a highly competitive and thrilling Africa Cup of Nations.
