By Victor Kanayo
The much anticipated main draw for the 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers has been decided.
At the end, a total of 12 groups comprising four National teams each were set up in a draw event which held in Johannesburg, South Africa on Thursday.
Up to 48 teams will be up for battle for places at the biennial continent soccer showpiece.
The participating African countries will be aiming to qualify for the 35th edition of the biennial Africa showpiece in an attempt to dethrone coach Emerse Fae’s Cote d’Ivoire as continental kings in the race for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations that begins in two months’ time.
Part of the draw will see Nigeria face Benin Republic, presenting an opportunity for Super Eagles to avenge their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying defeat to the Cheetahs in Abidjan last month.
Their FIFAWorld Cup qualifying reverse fixture is not until the final day of the qualification series (6th – 14th October 2025), but both teams have much earlier battles to fight later this year as they aim to be among the 24 countries that will participate in the 35th Africa Cup of Nations scheduled for Morocco, 21st December 2025 – 18th January 2026.
Nigeria will also tackle Rwanda – another team in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying group, and which they next play in the series in March 2025 – as well as the Mediterranean Knights of Libya. All four teams are in Group D.
In other draws, Cote d’ivoire were placed in Group G where they will play former champions Zambia, Sierra Leone and Chad.
Hosts Morocco were placed in Group B.
They will take on Gabon, Central African Republic and Lesotho.
The qualifiers will start in September 2024 and end in November 2024.
The six-match qualifying series have been spread over the FIFA windows in September, October and November, with two matches in each seven-day window.
AFCON, the biggest sporting event will be held from December 21, 2025 to 18 January 2026.
Full Groupings
Group A: Tunisia, Madagascar, Comoros, Gambia
Group B: Morocco, Gabon,Central Africa Republic, Lesotho
Group C: Egypt, Cape Verde, Mauritania, Botswana
Group D: Nigeria, Benin Libya, Rwanda
Group E: Algeria, Equatorial Guinea, Togo, Liberia
Group F: Ghana, Angola, Sudan, Niger
Group G: Cote d’Ivoire, Zambia, Sierra Leone, Chad
Group H: DR Congo, Guinea, Tanzania, Ethiopia
Group I: Mali, Mozambique, Guinea Bissau, Eswatini
Group J: Cameroon, Namibia, Kenya, Zimbabwe
Group K: South Africa, Uganda, Congo, South Sudan
Group L: Senegal, Burkina Faso, Malawi, Burundi.
