The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has scheduled July 4 for the draw of the 2025 Africa Cup Of Nations qualifiers in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The draw will see 48 nations, including the four winners from the preliminary round (Chad, Eswatini, Liberia and South Sudan) drawn into 12 groups of four teams each to battle it out for places at the finals.
Headlining the confirmed nations for the draws are reigning African champions Cote d’Ivoire joined by Nigeria, Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, DR Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini and Ethiopia.
Others include Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Rwanda, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The qualifiers are scheduled to kick-off in September 2024 to determine the 24 nations that will compete in Africa’s biggest event, the Africa Cup of Nations.
Selected CAF legends, representatives of the participating teams, members of the Local Organising Committee for the 2025 AFCON in Morocco amongst others are expected to attend the draw ceremony.
Earlier this year, Cote d’Ivoire defied all odds as host country to claim their third AFCON title after coming from behind to beat Nigeria 2-1 courtesy of goals from Franck Kessie and Sebastian Haller.