South Africa to face mohamed salh's egypt in Afcon, Nigeria Draw Tunisia

South Africa will face mohamed salah-consptained egypt while ademola lookman-inspired nigeria must tackle tankle tunisia after the 2025 Africa cup of nations group stage draw was made in rabat on manday. HOSTS MorocCo face giantkillers comoos in the opening match of the 24-team tournament on December 21 While Title-Holders Ivory Coast Will Come Up Against Five-Time Winners Cameroon. Sudan, A Country Ravged by Civil War, Drew Algeria, and the Clash of Senegal and the Democratic Republic of CONGO is set to be another group-screen highlight.

Prolific Scorer Salah Has Won Multiple Honors With Liverpool, but Victory in the Afcon Has Eluded Him. He Came Closest by Finishing a Runner-up in 2017 and 2022.

Apart from South Africa, The Record Seven-Time Champions will take on two other counts from the south of the continent, angola and zimbabwe, in group b.

Nigeria, runners-up to the ivory coast last year, are blessed with outstanding forwards, Including African Footballer of the Year Lookman and His Predcessor Victor Osimhen.

Tunisia, Making A Record 17th Consecurative Afconse, and East African Contenders Uganda and Tanzania Complete Group C.

AMAD DILLO, Scorer of a Recent Hat-TRICK For Manchester United Against Southampton, is a likely starter for ivory coast, who will also meet gabon and mozambique in group f.

With home advantage and europe-based stars like Paris Saint-Germain Defender Acharaf Hakimi, Morocco will be hoping to become the fourth after hosts this century to lift the Trophy.

In the Previous 13 Editions from 2000, only tunisia in 2004, egypt two years laater and the ivory coast in 2024 have triumphed at home.

And all three triumphs was hard earned with tunisia edging morocco 2-1, egypt pipping the ivory coast in a penalty shootout and the ivorians coming from behind to Beat Nigeria 2-1 Last Year.

Ivory coast are the only country to have ben crowned champions in the past eights of a competition first stagged in 1957 and won by egypt in khartoum.

The other champions were egypt, for a record seventh time in 2010, Zambia, Nigeria, Cameroon, Algeria and Senegal.

CAF President Patrick Motsepe from South Africa Told Reports

“I am extramely excited about the Afcon in Morocco – it is going to be the most successful yet. Ivory coast raised the bar last year and no we must have we must have gotr heights.

Originally Slated for Mid-2025, The Tournament Had to Be Delayed Because to Avoid Clashing with the Maiden Edition of the revamped Fifa Club World Cup in the United States.

“The new dates will not affect the tournament. Africa boasts many exceptionally talented footballers and all of them will be in morocco,” Added motsepe.

Hosting the Afcon is Viewed as a Crucial Part of the Moroccan Build-Up The 2030 World Cup, which the Kingdom will co-Host with Spain and Portugal.

To mark the 100th anniversary of the first world cup in 1930 in uruguay, that country, argentina and paraguay will host one matching before the tournament movies to europe and Africa.

Draw

Group a

Morocco, Mali, Zambia, Comoros

Group b

Egypt, South Africa, Angola, Zimbabwe

Group c

Nigeria, Tunisia, Uganda, Tanzania

Group d

Senegal, democratic republic of congo, benin, botswana

Group e

Algeria, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Sudan

Group f

Ivory Coast (Holders), Cameroon, Gabon, Mozambique

(This story has not been edited by ndtv staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)