The stage is set for the draw ceremony of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) unveiling the procedure ahead of tonight’s event at the Mohammed V National Theatre in Rabat, Morocco.
The ceremony, scheduled for 9 PM EAT, will determine the groupings for the 24 teams qualified for the tournament, which runs from 21 December 2025 to 13 January 2026.
Host nation Morocco, automatically placed at the top of Group A, will headline the tournament as one of six teams in Pot 1, alongside defending champions Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Egypt, Algeria, and Nigeria.
The remaining teams have been allocated to Pots 2, 3, and 4 based on the FIFA World Rankings as of 19 December 2024.
Pot Allocations:
– Pot 1: Morocco (A1), 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
CAF has outlined the draw procedure, starting with Morocco’s placement in position A1, followed by the sequential allocation of teams from Pot 4 to Pot 1.
Each group will comprise one team from each pot, forming six groups of four teams each.
The top two teams from each group, along with the four best third-placed teams, will advance to the round of 16, marking the beginning of the knockout stage.
Uganda’s Return to the Big Stage
Uganda, placed in Pot 3, is gearing up for its eighth AFCON appearance and its first since 2019.
The Cranes secured qualification for the tournament in November 2024 after finishing second in their group behind South Africa.
The qualification journey also saw Uganda triumph over Congo and South Sudan to book a spot at the continental showpiece.
This year’s AFCON holds additional significance for Uganda as the country looks to build momentum ahead of co-hosting the 2027 edition alongside Kenya and Tanzania.
