Harambee Stars to face giants Cameroon in AFCON 2025 qualifying group

The men's national football team, Harambee Stars, have been pooled in Group J for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers following the draw conducted on Thursday afternoon in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The team, currently coached by Engin Firat will face five-time winners Cameroon, Zimbabwe and Namibia as they seek to return to the continental showpiece for the seventh time overall and their first time since the 2019 edition held in Egypt.

The group that Harambee Stars were drawn in looks almost similar to the 2023 qualifiers which Kenya missed owing to a FIFA suspension. Back then, Kenya was in line to face Cameroon and Namibia alongside Burundi.

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Same like Kenya, the Warriors of Zimbabwe will also be returning to the qualifiers having missed the 2023 qualifiers due to a FIFA suspension.

Elsewhere, defending champions Cote d'Ivoire were placed in Group G where they will play former champions Zambia, Sierra Leone and Chad.

Hosts Morocco were placed in Group B where they will take on Gabon, Central African Republic and Lesotho.

Morocco will approach this qualifying campaign with less pressure since they are already assured of participating in the competition courtesy of being hosts.

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The qualifiers will start in September 2024 and end in November 2024.

The 2025 championship will be held from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026.

The concluded draw of the qualifiers will be made up of 12 Groups of 4 teams (Group A to L), where the first and runners-up in the eleven (11) groups that do not involve tournament hosts Morocco will gain qualification to the competition.

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For teams that finish first and second in a group consisting of Morocco, who by virtue of being tournament hosts gain automatic qualification, the following scenarios will be applied:

If the host is ranked first, the host is qualified in addition to the second of the group.

If the host is ranked second, the host will qualify in addition to the first of the group.

If the host is ranked third or fourth, the host will qualify in addition to the first of the group.

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Full Draw

Group A

Tunisia

Madagascar

Comoros

The Gambia

Group B

Morocco

Gabon

Central Africa

Lesotho

Group C

Egypt

Cape Verde

Mauritania

Botswana

Group D

Nigeria

Benin

Libya

Rwanda

Group E

Algeria

Equatorial Guinea

Togo

Liberia

Group F

Ghana

Angola

Sudan

Niger

Group G

Cote d'Ivoire

Zambia

Sierra Leone

Chad

Group H

DR Congo

Guinea

Tanzania

Ethiopia

Group I

Mali

Mozambique

Guinea Bissau

Eswatini

Group J

Cameroon

Namibia

Kenya

Zimbabwe

Group K

South Africa

Uganda

Congo

South Sudan

Group L

Senegal

Burkina Faso

Malawi

Burundi

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