Yahoo Sports Afcon draw LIVE: Africa Cup of Nations groups revealed ahead of 2025 tournament
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:
Africa Cup of Nations draw LIVE
Hosts Morocco learn opponents as Africa Cup of Nations draw held
Defending champions Cote d’Ivoire face Cameroon in Group F
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: Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Gabon, Mozambique
Tournament begins on 21 December and runs until 18 January 2026
20:16 , Reuters
Ivory Coast will begin the defence of their Africa Cup of Nations title against Mozambique, while hosts Morocco open the 2025 tournament against the Comoros Islands in Rabat on Dec. 21.
Ivory Coast, who won the last edition on home soil 12 months ago, are in Group F along with five-time winners Cameroon, Gabon and Mozambique, who they meet in Marrakesh on Dec. 24.
The draw was conducted in Rabat on Monday, some 11 months before the event kicks off. Morocco are top seeds in Group A where they will also be up against Mali and Zambia.
Egypt and South Africa were drawn together in Group B, rekindling a rivalry in the tournament stretching back to 1996.
Of the top seeds, Algeria look to have drawn the most favourable section in Group E with Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea and Sudan. Algeria crashed out in the first round in the last two tournaments.
The 24-team event sees six first round groups with the top two in each section, plus the four best third-placed finishers, advancing to the last 16
Afcon draw
19:36 , Jamie Braidwood
The draw is complete!
And immediately, Ivory Coast and Cameroon is the big clash in Group F! What a draw for the defending champions, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s Gabon and Mozambique there too!
Afcon draw
19:32 , Jamie Braidwood
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: Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Gabon, Mozambique
Afcon draw
19:31 , Jamie Braidwood
Just one more pot left... and it’s the big one!
Senegal, Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, and Cote d’Ivoire remain.
Afcon draw
19:27 , Jamie Braidwood
Group A: Morocco, Mali, Zambia, Comoros
Group B: South Africa, Angola, Zimbabwe
Group C: Tunisia, Uganda, Tanzania
Group D: DR Congo, Benin, Botswana
Group E: Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Sudan
Group F: Cameroon, Gabon, Mozambique
Afcon draw
19:26 , Jamie Braidwood
Pot 2 next, after that Group A will be complete.
Cameroon, Mali, Tunisia, South Africa, DR Congo, Burkina Faso are in this pot.
Afcon draw
19:22
Pot 3 is drawn!
Group A: Morocco, Zambia, Comoros
Group B: Angola, Zimbabwe
Group C: Uganda, Tanzania
Group D: Benin, Botswana
Group E: Equatorial Guinea, Sudan
Group F: Gabon, Mozambique
Afcon draw
19:20 , Jamie Braidwood
Pot 4 is drawn!
Group A: Morocco, Comoros
Group B: Zimbabwe
Group C: Tanzania
Group D: Botswana
Group E: Sudan
Group F: Mozambique
Afcon draw
19:18 , Jamie Braidwood
Group A: Morocco, Comoros
Comoros, one of the stories of the last Afcon, join hosts Morocco in Group A! That will also be the opening game.
Afcon draw
19:16 , Jamie Braidwood
The draw is underway! Morocco, of course, are placed in Group A.
We will continue by drawing the teams from Pot 4.
Afcon draw
19:13 , Jamie Braidwood
Hosts Morocco will be drawn first from pot 1 and will be placed as the first team in Group A. The teams from pot 4 will then randomly drawn one by one and sequentially placed from Group A to Group F.
Once all the teams from pot 4 have been drawn, the teams in pot 3 will be similarly placed sequentially from Group A to Group F, then pot 2 likewise before the remaining five teams in pot 1 (with Morocco already heading Group A) will be drawn sequentially from Group B to Group F.
Afcon draw
19:13 , Jamie Braidwood
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
19:12 , Jamie Braidwood
The “moment of truth” has arrived! The draw is about to begin, following a run through of the draw procedure.
Afcon draw
19:11 , Jamie Braidwood
To help out with the procedure, we have four very special guests: Morocco’s 1998 African Football of the Year Mustapha Hadji, a champion with Ivory Coast in 2023 and former Tottenham defender Serge Aurier, Senegal’s Afcon-winning coach in 2021 Aliou Cissé, and finally former Everton defender and African champion with Nigeria in 2013 Joseph Yobo.
Afcon draw
19:06 , Jamie Braidwood
We know the teams, now we have pots and balls on the stage! The draw can’t be far away now.
Afcon draw
18:59 , Jamie Braidwood
Another speech, this time from CAF president Patrice Motsepe.
“We see the power of football to bring Africa together, to unite people in one country, to show people across the world that African football is growing.
“We saw that in Qatar, when Morocco reached the semi-finals. It was a moment of pride for us. Now, our biggest tournament is taking place in Morocco. It is a great honour.”
Afcon draw
18:56 , Jamie Braidwood
Time for the Afcon trophy to be brought onto the stage!
Ahmed Makrouh “Baba”, a part of Morocco’s last Africa Cup of Nations winning team, almost 50 years ago in 1976, brings the trophy out onto the stage.
Afcon draw
18:53 , Jamie Braidwood
Time for a spoken-word recap of the last Afcon tournament, which produced so many twists and turns.
Who could forget Ivory Coast being on the verge of crashing out in the group stage, sacking their coach, and coming back win it all by defeating Nigeria in the final?
Afcon draw
18:42 , Jamie Braidwood
A fourth musical performance to keep the head coaches entertained while we wait for the draw to begin in Rabat.
Afcon draw
18:39 , Jamie Braidwood
Morocco head coach Walid Regragui is also asked for his thoughts.
“We have the best fans in the world. Pressure? Of course there is pressure when we have not won the tournament since 1976. Morocco wants to stage the best Africa Cup of Nations we have seen.”
Afcon draw
18:37 , Jamie Braidwood
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
18:35 , Jamie Braidwood
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
18:29 , Jamie Braidwood
A third musical performance before the Afcon draw begins.
Afcon draw
18:28 , Jamie Braidwood
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
18:20
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
18:11 , Jamie Braidwood
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
18:07 , Jamie Braidwood
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
18:04 , Jamie Braidwood
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
18:03 , Jamie Braidwood
The draw ceremony is underway in Rabat, beginning with a musical performance.
Africa Cup of Nations: List of previous champions
17:58
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
Hopes high for hosts Morocco
17:48 , Jamie Braidwood
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
17:48 , Jamie Braidwood
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
17:38 , Jamie Braidwood
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?
17:20 , Chris Wilson
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
17:10 , Chris Wilson
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?
16:55 , Chris Wilson
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?
16:20 , Chris Wilson
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
16:10 , Chris Wilson
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
16:00 , Chris Wilson
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.
