AFCON 2025 Preliminary Draw: Road to Morocco Begins for Eight Teams
Today marks a significant step in the journey to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) hosted by Morocco, as the draw for the preliminary round takes place in Cairo, Egypt.
Nigeria, Senegal, Morocco, Egypt, South Africa, Ghana, and 36 other top-rated teams await their fate, exempt from the preliminary round of qualifiers.
The preliminary round features the eight lowest-ranked teams according to FIFA rankings: Somalia, Djibouti, Sao Tome, Chad, Mauritius, South Sudan, Liberia, and Eswatini.
Scheduled during the FIFA Window of March 18 to 26, 2024, the matches will follow a home-and-away format, with four winners advancing to join the exempted teams in the group stage.
CAF outlines that the preliminary matches will be knockout fixtures, with winners progressing to the group stage alongside the exempted teams.
To ensure fairness, the eight teams are divided into two pots based on their FIFA rankings. Pot 1 includes Somalia, Djibouti, Sao Tome, and Chad, while Pot 2 comprises Mauritius, South Sudan, Liberia, and Eswatini.
As the preliminary draw unfolds, anticipation builds for the teams vying to secure their place in the prestigious tournament, set to showcase the best of African football talent.
