Afcon draw LIVE: Africa Cup of Nations groups revealed ahead of 2025 tournament
The draw for the Africa Cup of Nations is complete, with defending champions Ivory Coast facing rivals Cameroon in Group F
The draw for the 2025/26 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations has taken place, with hosts Morocco facing Mali, Zambia and Comoros in Group A.
Seven-time champions Egypt, who will likely be led by Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush, will play South Africa, Angola and Zimbabwe in Group B.
In Group C, Nigeria will start their campaign to win a first Afcon title since 2013 by taking on Tunisia, Uganda and Tanzania.
Senegal won a memorable first title in 2021 and the the Teranga Lions will play DR Congo, Benin and Botswana, with the Zebras making their just their second Africa Cup of Nations appearance.
In Group E, Algeria will play Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea and Sudan, while Group F will stage a mouth-watering clash between rivals Cote d’Ivoire and Cameroon, as well as Gabon and Mozambique.
Cote d’Ivoire are the defending champions and the the tournament will begin on 21 December with Morocco opening against Comoros.
The final will be held at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium on 18 January 2026. Follow the latest updates from the draw in Rabat here:
Afcon draw
Egypt head coach and legend Hossam Hassan also speaks ahead of the draw.
“We are proud as Egypt to have won the tournament seven times. Mohamed Salah? With Salah, we have one of the best players in the world. He and Omar Marmoush will be positive for our team, but we have other talented players too.”
Afcon draw
Ivory Coast head coach Emerse Fae speaks ahead of the draw:
“There are many quality teams in the draw and it is difficult to say who we may want to avoid. We have to be prepared to face anyone at the tournament.”
Afcon draw
A third musical performance before the Afcon draw begins.
Afcon draw
Still waiting for the draw to begin, as we take a tour around the host cities to stage games at Afcon.
Morocco will host the tournament for the first time since 1988, and the tournament will be played across nine venues in six host cities.
Four venues are in Rabat, including the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, which will host the final.
Elsewhere, Agadir, Casablanca, Fez and Tangier will all host games, along with tourist hotspot Marrakech.
Afcon draw
The head of Morocco’s football federation is addressing the room ahead of the draw.
He says the Africa Cup of Nations is a special tournament that can bring the continent together through football.
Afcon draw
A reminder of pots ahead of the Afcon draw:
Pot 1: Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, Cote 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
Afcon draw
The musical performances continue with a tribute to Morocco’s 2022 World Cup side.
The Atlas Lions and their wonderful fans certainly made an impression at the Qatar tournament.
Afcon draw ceremony underway
How can I watch it?
The draw will be shown in the UK on streaming service DAZN, where you can register for free to watch the draw or purchase a full subscription to DAZN’s content here, with plans starting at £14.99 a month. A full list of broadcasters around the world is available here.
Afcon draw
The draw ceremony is underway in Rabat, beginning with a musical performance.
Africa Cup of Nations: List of previous champions
The last eight Africa Cup of Nations tournaments have produced seven different winners. Egypt were the last country to defend their title, which they did three times between 2006 and 2010.
2023: Ivory Coast
2021: Senegal
2019: Algeria
2017: Cameroon
2015: Ivory Coast
2013: Nigeria
2012: Zambia
2010: Egypt
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