Morocco, Ivory Coast set to be among top AFCON seeds

Africa Cup of Nations hosts Morocco and title-holders the Ivory Coast are likely to be among the top seeds when the draw for the 2025 tournament is made in Rabat on January 27.

A Confederation of African Football official told AFP on condition of anonymity as he is not an official spokesperson that the latest world rankings “would almost certainly determine the seeds”.

CAF have used the FIFA rankings to seed nations for AFCON and World Cup draws, and are likely to use the December 2024 listings as the next rankings will only be published on April 3.

The 24 participants will be divided into six four-team groups with winners and runners-up from each plus the best four third-placed sides qualifying for the knockout phase.

Originally set for mid-2025, the tournament was pushed back in order not to clash with the revamped Club World Cup and now kicks off on December 21 and finishes on January 18.

It is the first time the biennial AFCON, first staged in Sudan in 1957, will span two years. Morocco previously hosted the event in 1988 when just eight countries took part.

Hosts Ivory Coast were crowned champions last February, coming from behind to edge Nigeria 2-1 in Abidjan with Sebastien Haller scoring the title-winning goal.

Likely seeding

First: Morocco (hosts), Senegal, Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, Ivory Coast (holders)

Second: Cameroon, Mali, Tunisia, South Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Burkina Faso

Third: Gabon, Angola, Zambia, Uganda, Equatorial Guinea, Benin

Fourth: Mozambique, Comoros, Tanzania, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Botswana