The CAF (Confederation of African Football) has outlined the details for the CAN 2015 qualifiers, set to take place in Morocco. The final phase of the competition is scheduled from January 17 to February 7, 2015, across four cities in the Sherifian Kingdom: Rabat, Agadir, Tangier, and Marrakech.
A total of 51 African countries will participate in the qualifiers. The draw for the qualifiers is slated for Sunday, April 27, 2014, in Cairo, Egypt. The qualifiers will feature preliminary rounds followed by a group stage comprising seven groups of four teams each. The top two teams from each group, along with the best third-placed team, will directly qualify for the Orange CAN 2015.
The first 21 countries in the CAF ranking will automatically advance to the group stage of the qualifiers. The remaining seven participants in the group stage will be determined through preliminary rounds scheduled between May and August 2014. The group stage matches are scheduled to take place from September 5 to November 19, 2014, with the draw for the group stage final set for November 26, 2014, in Morocco, at a location yet to be determined.
Key dates for CAN 2015:
- Playoff draw: April 27, 2014
- Preliminary round: Between May and August 2014
- Playoff period: September 5 – November 19, 2014
- Final phase draw: November 26, 2014
- Final phase: January 17 – February 7, 2015