Morocco awaits crucial AFCON 2025 draw: Best and worst scenarios revealed

Monday 27 January 2025 - 11:30

By: Dakir Madiha

Morocco awaits crucial AFCON 2025 draw: Best and worst scenarios revealed

As Morocco prepares to host the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) draw ceremony, anticipation builds around the potential group stage matchups that could shape the tournament's early stages.

The draw ceremony is set to take place at the Mohammed V Theater in Rabat tomorrow, January 27, at 7 p.m. Moroccan Time. Twenty-four nations will be distributed across four pots based on their FIFA rankings, forming six groups of four teams each.

The distribution of teams across the pots is as follows:

Pot 1: Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, and Côte d'Ivoire
Pot 2: Cameroon, Mali, Tunisia, South Africa, DR Congo, and Burkina Faso
Pot 3: Gabon, Angola, Zambia, Uganda, Equatorial Guinea, and Benin
Pot 4: Mozambique, Comoros, Tanzania, Sudan, Zimbabwe, and Botswana

As the host nation, Morocco will automatically be placed at the top of Group A. The tournament's format will see the top two teams from each group advance to the knockout stage, along with the four best third-placed teams.

Two potential scenarios have emerged for Morocco's group stage:

The favorable draw would see Morocco grouped with Burkina Faso, Benin, and Comoros, while a more challenging path could pair them with South Africa, Equatorial Guinea, and Sudan.

Morocco's history in the tournament includes one championship title, secured in 1976 during the Ethiopian-hosted competition. That tournament featured a different format, with the top four teams from the first round competing in a final group stage rather than the current knockout format.

The nation now looks forward to hosting what promises to be a significant tournament, with all eyes focused on the upcoming draw ceremony that will determine the initial path for all participating teams.