Harambee Stars to find out challengers for AFCON 2025 spots on Thursday

The men's national football team, Harambee Stars, will on Thursday afternoon find out who they will play in the qualifiers of the Africa Cup of Nations 2025.

The official qualifying draw to the event will take place on Thursday 4 July in Johannesburg, South Africa where a total of 48 African nations will await with bated breath to find out their fate.

With the baton now officially handed over to Morocco who will host the 2025 edition, all nations will be aiming at securing a place at what has now become one of the biggest tournaments in world football.

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The official draw will take place at 1530EAT and will be hosted by reigning AFCON champions Emerse Faé as well as Moroccan legend Marouane Chamakh.

The draw on Thursday officially maps the pathway to qualification to Morocco, where each of the 48 nations will be drawn into the Twelve (12) groups of four (4) that will determine who qualifies for next year’s continental showpiece set to be contested by 24 nations.

Ahead of the official draw, CAF officially released the draw procedures

The highest ranked nations as per the latest FIFA Rankings issued out on 20 June 2024 will occupy Pot 1, with the same procedure to be followed for Pot 2, 3 and 4 to make up the 48 nations.

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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.

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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48 African nations to be engaged as per latest FIFA Rankings issued 20 June 2024

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