AFCON 2023: what you need to know about the draw

Abidjan will be the capital of African football on Thursday 12 October. The Parc des Expositions d'Abidjan will welcome delegations from the 24 countries qualified for this 2023 AFCON, which will run from 13 January to 11 February 2024. A host of big names are expected at the event. The CAF has chosen Didier Drogba, Mikel Obi, Sadio Mane and Achraf Hakimi as assistants for the draw.

Under Article 12 of the AFCON regulations, the CAF uses the latest rankings published by FIFA to form the pots. With the exception of Ivory Coast, hosts of the 2023 AFCON, the pots were composed according to the FIFA rankings in descending order. The make-up of the pots:

Pot 1

• Ivory Coast (hosts) (50th in the latest FIFA rankings)

• Senegal (holders) (20th)
• Morocco (13th)
• Tunisia (29th)
• Algeria (34th)
• Egypt (35th)

Pot 2

• Nigeria (40th)
• Cameroon (41st)
• Mali (49th)
• Burkina Faso (58th)
• Ghana (60th)
• DR Congo (64th)

Pot 3

• South Africa (65th)
• Cape Verde (71st)
• Guinea (81st)
• Zambia (82nd)
• Equatorial Guinea (92nd)
• Mauritania (99th)

Pot 4

• Guinea-Bissau (106th)
• Mozambique (113th)
• Namibia (114th)
• Angola (117th)
• Gambia (118th)
• Tanzania (122nd)

When the 2023 AFCON draw takes place, the pots will be numbered 1 to 4. The teams in pot 1 will be spread across groups A to F. As the host nation, Ivory Coast will automatically take position A1. For the five remaining pot 1 countries, a first draw will be made to place them in groups B to F. The same procedure will then be repeated for the remaining pots.

Draw procedure

 

Pot 4: containing the 6 level IV teams

Pot 3: containing the 6 level III teams

Pot 2: containing the 6 level II teams

Pot 1: containing the 5 level I teams + the host nation, which will be in a ball of a different colour.

The host nation will be the first to be drawn and placed in position A1

Step 1:

The 6 level IV teams, the lowest ranked, will be in pot 4 and will be the first to learn their placing

⦁ The first ball drawn will go straight to group A, in position A4.

⦁ The second ball drawn will go straight to group B, in position B4.

⦁ The third ball drawn will go straight to group C, in position C4.

⦁ The fourth ball drawn will go straight to group D, in position D4

⦁ The fifth ball drawn will go straight to group E, in position E4

⦁ The sixth ball drawn will go straight to group F, in position F4

Step 2:

Pot 3: The 6 level III teams will be in pot 3.

⦁ The first ball drawn will go straight to group A, in position A3.

⦁ The second ball drawn will go straight to group B, in position B3.

⦁ The third ball drawn will go straight to group C, in position C3.

⦁ The fourth ball drawn will go straight to group D, in position D3

⦁ The fifth ball drawn will go straight to group E, in position E3

⦁ The sixth ball drawn will go straight to group F, in position F3

Step 3:

Pot 2: The 6 level II teams will be in pot 2.

⦁ The first ball drawn will go straight to group A, in position A2.

⦁ The second ball drawn will go straight to group B, in position B2.

⦁ The third ball drawn will go straight to group C, in position C2.

⦁ The fourth ball drawn will go straight to group D, in position D2

⦁ The fifth ball drawn will go straight to group E, in position E2.

⦁ The sixth ball drawn will go straight to group F, in position F2

Step 4:

Pot 1: The host team is already in position A1; the title holders and the 4 other level I teams will be in pot 1.

⦁ The first ball drawn will go straight to group B, in position B1.

⦁ The second ball drawn will go straight to group C, in position C1.

⦁ The third ball drawn will go straight to group D, in position D1.

⦁ The fourth ball drawn will go straight to group E, in position E1

⦁ The fifth ball drawn will go straight to group F, in position F1