AFCON 2025 draw: Holders Ivory Coast to face Cameroon, Mohamed Salah's Egypt meet South Africa in group stage

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The draw for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations has taken place, pitting Ivory Coast against Cameroon and Egypt against South Africa. Mohamed Salah will be on the hunt for his first AFCON title, while Sadio Mane's Senegal and Riyad Mahrez's Algeria will have ambitions of their own. The tournament will be played in Morocco, with the hosts hoping to win the competition for the first time since 1976.

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Africa Cup of Nations holders Ivory Coast will play Cameroon in a blockbuster group match at the 2025 tournament in Morocco.

Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah's Egypt will meet South Africa, Angola and Zimbabwe in Group B as they bid for an eighth title.

Hosts Morocco will face Mali, Zambia and Comoros in Group A, with the tournament set to kick off on December 21 with a clash between Morocco and Comoros at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.

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Ivory Coast and Cameroon are joined by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's Gabon and Mozambique in Group F, while Nigeria and Tunisia will be favourites to progress from Group C ahead of Uganda and Tanzania.

Sadio Mane's Senegal, AFCON winners in 2021, will clash with DR Congo, Benin and Botswana in Group D.

In Group E, Algeria have been drawn alongside Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea and Sudan.

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Morocco, on home soil, are amongst the favourites to win this year's AFCON, though Egypt, Algeria, Senegal and Ivory Coast will all have aspirations of more continental glory.

Speaking at the draw in Rabat, CAF president Patrice Motsepe said: "We see the power of football to bring Africa together, to unite people in one country, to show people across the world that African football is growing.

"We saw that in Qatar, when Morocco reached the semi-finals. It was a moment of pride for us. Now, our biggest tournament is taking place in Morocco. It is a great honour."

Morocco head coach Walid Regragui, asked about his side's chances of glory as hosts, said: "We have the best fans in the world.

"Pressure? Of course there is pressure when we have not won the tournament since 1976. Morocco wants to stage the best Africa Cup of Nations we have seen."