AFCON 2025: Draw for preliminary round set for Tuesday

As the dust settles on the 34th edition of TotalEnergies CAF AFCON, the spotlight shifts to the upcoming TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025.

Anticipation is building as the preliminary draw, slated for Tuesday, 20 February 2024, sets the stage for a captivating football spectacle.

Scheduled to unfold at 14h00 local time (12h00 GMT) in Cairo, Egypt, the draw holds the key to the fate of the eight lowest-ranked teams, as per the FIFA rankings.

Somalia, Djibouti, Sao Tome, Chad, Mauritius, South Sudan, Liberia, and Eswatini brace themselves for a knockout battle during the FIFA Window of 18-26 March 2024.

In a unique twist, the preliminary round winners will earn their stripes to join the 44 teams exempted from this round, progressing to the highly anticipated group stage of the tournament.

Draw Procedures Unveiled:

I. Engaged Teams:
A total of 52 teams are set to participate in the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025. The bottom 8 teams in the FIFA ranking will engage in the preliminary round, while the remaining 44 teams enjoy a direct entry into the group stage.

II. System of the Qualifiers:

• Preliminary Round; A knock-out system comprising home and away matches awaits the bottom 8 teams in the FIFA ranking.
• Group Stage: The four victorious teams from the preliminary round will join forces with the 44 exempted teams, competing in the group stage.

III. Draw Procedures of the Preliminary Round:

• Distribution into Pots: The least 8 ranked teams are divided into 2 pots based on their FIFA ranking.
  • Pot 1 (Lowest ranked): Somalia, Djibouti, Sao Tome & Chad.
  • Pot 2 (Highest ranked): Mauritius, South Sudan, Liberia & Eswatini.

The draw promises to be a pivotal moment, shaping the destiny of the underdog nations and setting the stage for a footballing saga that will captivate fans around the globe.