AFCON 2025: Everything to know about group stage draw, how to watch

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) group stage draw will be made in Rabat, Morocco, today Monday, January 27, 2025. 

 The draw will start at exactly 18:00GMT, that is 6PM Ghana time, at the Rabat’s Mohammed V National Theatre.

Pulse Ghana presents all you need to know about the draw tonight and how the 24 qualified teams have performed in the competition.  

Gervinho, who won with Ivory Coast in 2015, Egypt's Essam El Hadary, who has won multiple times, and Cameroon great Patrick Mboma, who has won twice, have all been confirmed to attend.  

FIFA President Gianni Infantino is anticipated to attend, and CAF President Dr. Patrice Motsepe will likely speak to kick off the event. Federation representatives will attend the competition on behalf of each of the 24 competing teams.

How the AFCON draw works

The six top-ranked teams according to the December FIFA World Rankings are in Pot One of the four pots into which the 24 qualifiers have been seeded. The top six ranked teams, including hosts Morocco, will not be able to play each other in the first round of the competition.

One team from each of the four pots will be drawn into six groups of four teams later this year. The top two teams from each group and the top four third-place teams will all move on to the Last 16 when the tournament proper begins later this year.

Qualified teams and best performance

Egypt | Group C Winners | 27th appearance | Previous Best: Winners (6)

Ivory Coast | Group G runners-up | 26th appearance | Previous Best: Winners (3)

Tunisia | Group A runners-up | 22nd appearance | Previous Best: Winners (1)

Cameroon | Group J winners | 22nd appearance | Previous Best: Winners (5)

Nigeria | Group D winners | 21st appearance | Previous Best: Winners (3)

Algeria | Group E winners | 21st appearance | Previous Best: Winners (2)

DR Congo | Group H winners | 21st appearance | Previous Best: Winners (2)

Morocco | Hosts + Group B winners | 20th appearance | Previous Best: Winners (1)

Zambia | Group G winners | 19th appearance | Previous Best: Winners (1)

Senegal | Group L winners | 18th appearance | Previous Best: Winners (1)

Mali | Group I winners | 14th appearance | Previous Best: Runners-up

Burkina Faso | Group L runners-up | 14th appearance | Previous Best: Runners-up

South Africa | Group K winners | 12th appearance | Previous Best: Winners (1)

Angola | Group F winners | 10th appearance | Previous Best: Quarter-finals

Sudan | Group F runners-up | 10th appearance | Previous Best: Winners (1)

Gabon | Group B runners-up | 9th appearance | Previous Best: Quarter-finals

Uganda | Group K runners-up | 8th appearance | Previous Best: Runners-up

Mozambique | Group I runners-up | 6th appearance | Previous Best: Group Stage

Zimbabwe | Group J runners-up | 6th appearance | Previous Best: Group Stage

Benin | Group D runners-up | 5th appearance | Previous Best: Quarter-finals

Equatorial Guinea | Group E runners-up | 5th appearance | Previous Best: Fourth place

Tanzania | Group H runners-up | 4th appearance | Previous Best: Group Stage

Comoros | Group A winners | 2nd appearance | Previous Best: Round of 16

Botswana | Group C runners-up | 2nd appearance | Previous Best: Group Stage

The draw will be broadcasted live on CAF’s various media channels.