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:
Hopes high for hosts Morocco
Ivory Coast won the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations as hosts, so can Morocco repeat the feat in 2025/26?
The Atlas Lions last won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1976, but they will be full of confidence after their memorable run to the World Cup semi-finals in 2022.
Led by PSG full-back Achraf Hakimi and striker Youssef En-Nesyri, Morocco will feild a talented team and the hosts are set to be among the favourites for the title.
Botswana return to Africa Cup of Nations
Of the 24 teams who are through to the Africa Cup of Nations, it is Botswana who have endured the longest wait.
The Zebras last qualified in 2012, which was also their Afcon debut.
However, Botswana did not progress from the group stage and lost all three of their games.
No Ghana at Africa Cup of Nations
Ghana failed to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time since 2004 after a shocking qualification campaign for the Black Stars.
The failed to beat Angola in November, a month after captain Mohammed Kudus issued an apology on behalf of the team.
"We've not been truthful to ourselves and this is where we have landed,” Kudus said after a defeat to Sudan.
"The team is not playing well, there's no consistency or passion. We are playing like there's nothing at stake.
"It's very sad and embarrassing for us."
What are the host cities?
Morocco will host the Afcon 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, Fez and Tangier will all host games, along with tourist hotspot Marrakech.
Most successful Afcon teams
The Cote d’Ivoire’s win in 2023 was the third time they have won the tournament, having also earned the trophy in 2015 and 1992.
They beat Nigeria in the final, with the Super Eagles missing out on winning their fourth title.
The most successful side in competition history is Egypt, who had unprecedented success in winning three titles in a row in 2006, 2008 and 2010.
Cameroon are the next most successful side, having won five titles including two in a row in 2000 and 2002 when led by Samuel Eto’o.
When is Afcon 2025?
The tournament has been brought forward from its normal January slot to begin before Christmas this year, with the first match taking place on 21 December 2025 and the tournament then running until the final on 18 January 2026.
When is the Afcon 2025 draw?
The draw for Afcon 2025 takes place in the Mohammed V National Theatre in Rabat, Morocco on 27 January at 6pm GMT (7pm local time).
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 LIVE
The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations runs from 21 December of this year until 18 January 2026 and today sees the draw to determine who plays who in the group stage.
With qualification having taken place throughout 2024, a total of 23 teams, plus hosts Morocco, have qualified to play at the 35th edition of Afcon, which will be taking place in the north African country for the first time since 1988.
Ivory Coast are the defending champions after they memorably sacked coach Jean-Louis Gasset mid-tournament in 2023, switching to Emerse Fae when Gasset had led them through the group stage.
Under Fae, the Elephants beat defending champions Senegal on penalties in the last 16, downed Mali after extra-time in the quarter-finals and then bested DR Congo in the semi-finals. That set up a final against Nigeria, which they won 2-1 thanks to second-half goals from Franck Kessie and Sebastian Haller to claim the Afcon crown for the first time since 2015.
Africa Cup of Nations draw LIVE
Good afternoon and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of the draw for the 2025/26 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations.
The draw for the group stage takes place in Rabat from around 6pm GMT, and we’ll have all the latest updates here.
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