BY NTOKOZO MAGONGO
MBABANE – The much-anticipated draw for the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 takes place today at 6 PM at the Mohammed V National Theatre in Rabat, Morocco.
The draw will reveal group-stage matchups for 24 African nations, marking the symbolic start of Africa’s premier football competition, which runs from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.
While Eswatini will not feature after failing to qualify, Southern African nations such as South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Angola will represent the region.
The draw divides the teams into six groups of four, with the top two and the four best third-placed teams advancing to the round of 16. Hosts Morocco automatically occupy position A1, with remaining seedings based on FIFA rankings.
Defending champions Côte d’Ivoire, hosts Morocco, and 2021 winners Senegal are among the favorites, while underdogs like Botswana and Comoros aim to create surprises.
Seeding Pots:
- Pot 1: Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire
- Pot 2: Cameroon, Mali, Tunisia, South Africa, DR Congo, Burkina Faso
- Pot 3: Gabon, Angola, Zambia, Uganda, Equatorial Guinea, Benin
- Pot 4: Mozambique, Comoros, Tanzania, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Botswana
