January 28 – Defending African Cup of Nations (AFCON) champions Ivory Coast have been drawn against fellow tournament heavyweights Cameroon in the group stages of the 2025 iteration of the competition.
The pair, who have claimed eight AFCON titles between them, will also face Gabon and Mozambique in what appears to be a challenging Group F.
Elsewhere, tournament hosts Morocco entertain Mali, Zambia and Comoros in Group A, while 2023 runners-up have been drawn in Group C alongside Tunisia, Tanzania and Uganda – the latter two will co-host the 2027 tournament.
In Group B, South Africa, Angola and Zimbabwe, all part of the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA), will play seven-time winners Egypt and Mohamed Salah.
The winners and runners-up in each group – as well as the best four third-placed teams – will progress to the round of sixteen.
The tournament takes place between 21 December 2025 – 18 January 2026 with matches taking place in Rabat, Casablanca, Agadir, Marrakech, Fes and Tangier across nine stadiums.
With a capacity of 53,000, Rabat’s Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium will stage the final.
Morocco will also stage the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations after Guinea were stripped of the hosting rights because of concerns over their readiness.
Last year, Morocco hosted the Club World Cup and the CAF beach soccer championships. In 2030, the country will co-host the World Cup, becoming the second African country to stage the world’s biggest sporting event.
The draw:
Group A: Morocco, Mali, Zambia, Comoros
Group B: Egypt, South Africa, Angola, Zimbabwe
Group C: Nigeria, Tunisia, Uganda, Tanzania
Group D: Senegal, DR Congo, Benin, Botswana
Group E: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Sudan
Group F: Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Gabon, Mozambique
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