AFCON 2025: Morocco draw Mali, Senegal face DR Congo again
The Confederation of African Football held the AFCON 2025 group-stage draw in Rabat on Monday. Here are the groups.
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There are 24 teams on the starting line, and they now know their group-stage opponents. Awaited since the end of qualifying, the AFCON 2025 group draw took place on Monday at the Mohammed V National Theatre in Rabat. All eyes were on the draw itself, with Mustapha Hadji, Aliou Cissé, Serge Aurier and Joseph Yobo given the job of pulling out the balls. And it is fair to say that while these former internationals were kind to some nations, their neutral hands produced some tasty fixtures for others.
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That is particularly true of Group A at AFCON 2025, where the host nation face a real test against Mali, and will also meet Zambia again, having played them in the group stage of the last edition. Making their first appearance at the tournament, Comoros will be in the spotlight in Group A, and they get the added bonus of playing the opening match against the Atlas Lions.
Group F, perhaps the toughest, will be one to watch closely, with holders Ivory Coast set to face Cameroon. Gabon, in improving form, will also have their say, while Mozambique will look to build on their momentum. In Group D, Senegal and DR Congo just can't be separated. Already battling each other in qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, the Lions and the Leopards will cross paths again, but will also have to contend with a Benin side returning to AFCON, and Botswana.
Runners-up at the last edition, Nigeria, under new head coach Eric Chelle, have landed in Group C with Tunisia, Uganda and Tanzania. Elsewhere, Algeria and Burkina Faso are also reunited. The Greens will also meet an old AFCON 2021 acquaintance in Equatorial Guinea, as well as Sudan, who are in good form and top their 2026 World Cup qualifying group ahead of Senegal and DR Congo. Plenty of cracking fixtures to look forward to... in 11 months
The AFCON 2025 groups
- 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: Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Gabon, Mozambique
Now attention turns to the competition itself, with the finals running from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026.