Following the conclusion of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations won by Ivory Coast, all attention shifts to the 2025 edition to be hosted by Morocco.
The preliminary round draw for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations was held at the headquarters of CAF, in Cairo, Egypt.
The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations was explosive and definitely, the continent will be hoping that the upcoming edition does live up to the billing.
Anyway, nations looking to make it to the actual qualification rounds will have to start dotting their i's and crossing their t's after the draw was revealed on February 20, 2024.
The draw involves teams that have never won the competition in the past, with Chad, Mauritius, Liberia, Eswatini, South Sudan, Djibouti, Sao Tome, and Somalia battling to make it to the actual qualification round.
These nations were divided into two pots before the actual draw took place, with Somalia, Djibouti, Sao Tome and Chad placed in Pot 1.
The Pot 2 featured Mauritius, South Sudan, Liberia, and Eswatini, with the teams expected to put things in place as they are set to file out against each other.
The preliminary round of qualification matches for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations will take place from the 20th to the 26th of March 2024, with the matches to be played over two legs.
Somalia will trade tackles with Eswatini in the preliminary round of matches, with Sao Tome also drawn to face South Sudan.
Chad battles against Mauritius, while Djibouti goes up against Liberia.
It will be fascinating to see how the pendulum will swing in the preliminary round of qualification matches for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Meanwhile, the governing body of African football has agreed in principle for the 2025 Cup of Nations to be played in July and August 2025 in Morocco.
This report is according to a CAF official, speaking in an interview with AFP on Tuesday, February 20, 2024.
Earlier in February 2024, CAF president Patrice Motsepe refused to share the dates for the next Africa Cup of Nations, with organizers left with little time to plan a qualifying competition that is expected to be held in January and February 2024.
The competition will clash with FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup which is due to be held in North America if it is played between June and July 2025.
On Monday, February 19, 2024, reports also circulated that there is “an agreement in principle between CAF and the Moroccan Football Federation for the AFCON to be held during the summer, more precisely in July and August 2025.”
The source also added that FIFA were fully in support following talks that began several months ago.
The conversation “intensified during the last edition which finished this month in Ivory Coast.” and the dates proposed are July 20, 2025, and August 16 or 17, 2025.
The last 2 Africa Cup of Nations both had their scheduling altered from the original dates.
The 2021 tournament, hosted by Cameroon, was played in January and February of 2022.
The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations had initially been slated for June and July 2023 but was rescheduled to January and February 2024, due to weather concerns.
2025 AFCON preliminary round of qualification matches in full:
First Leg
*Somalia Vs Eswatini
*Sao Tome Vs South Sudan
*Chad Vs Mauritius
*Djibouti Vs Liberia
Second Leg
*Eswatini Vs Somalia
*Sao Tome Vs South Sudan
*Mauritius Vs Chad
*Liberia Vs Djibouti
The preliminary round draw for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations was held at the headquarters of CAF, in Cairo, Egypt.
The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations was explosive and definitely, the continent will be hoping that the upcoming edition does live up to the billing.
Anyway, nations looking to make it to the actual qualification rounds will have to start dotting their i's and crossing their t's after the draw was revealed on February 20, 2024.
The draw involves teams that have never won the competition in the past, with Chad, Mauritius, Liberia, Eswatini, South Sudan, Djibouti, Sao Tome, and Somalia battling to make it to the actual qualification round.
These nations were divided into two pots before the actual draw took place, with Somalia, Djibouti, Sao Tome and Chad placed in Pot 1.
The Pot 2 featured Mauritius, South Sudan, Liberia, and Eswatini, with the teams expected to put things in place as they are set to file out against each other.
The preliminary round of qualification matches for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations will take place from the 20th to the 26th of March 2024, with the matches to be played over two legs.
Somalia will trade tackles with Eswatini in the preliminary round of matches, with Sao Tome also drawn to face South Sudan.
Chad battles against Mauritius, while Djibouti goes up against Liberia.
It will be fascinating to see how the pendulum will swing in the preliminary round of qualification matches for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Meanwhile, the governing body of African football has agreed in principle for the 2025 Cup of Nations to be played in July and August 2025 in Morocco.
This report is according to a CAF official, speaking in an interview with AFP on Tuesday, February 20, 2024.
Earlier in February 2024, CAF president Patrice Motsepe refused to share the dates for the next Africa Cup of Nations, with organizers left with little time to plan a qualifying competition that is expected to be held in January and February 2024.
The competition will clash with FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup which is due to be held in North America if it is played between June and July 2025.
On Monday, February 19, 2024, reports also circulated that there is “an agreement in principle between CAF and the Moroccan Football Federation for the AFCON to be held during the summer, more precisely in July and August 2025.”
The source also added that FIFA were fully in support following talks that began several months ago.
The conversation “intensified during the last edition which finished this month in Ivory Coast.” and the dates proposed are July 20, 2025, and August 16 or 17, 2025.
The last 2 Africa Cup of Nations both had their scheduling altered from the original dates.
The 2021 tournament, hosted by Cameroon, was played in January and February of 2022.
The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations had initially been slated for June and July 2023 but was rescheduled to January and February 2024, due to weather concerns.
2025 AFCON preliminary round of qualification matches in full:
First Leg
*Somalia Vs Eswatini
*Sao Tome Vs South Sudan
*Chad Vs Mauritius
*Djibouti Vs Liberia
Second Leg
*Eswatini Vs Somalia
*Sao Tome Vs South Sudan
*Mauritius Vs Chad
*Liberia Vs Djibouti