Defending champions Ivory Coast and Cameroon will face each other in Group F, where both will be confident of finishing above Gabon and Mozambique. Hosts Morocco will take on Comoros in the opening match of the tournament on December 21, before they turn their focus to Zambia and Mali.

The draw for the 2025 AFCON tournament takes place in Rabat, Morocco's capital and the host city for the final.

The draw for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations finals, being held in Morocco from Dec. 21-Jan. 18, conducted on Monday: Group A: Morocco, Mali, Zambia, Comoros Group B: Egypt, South Africa, Angola, Zimbabwe Group C: Nigeria,

World Cup semifinalist Morocco was drawn in a group with Mali, Zambia and Comoros on Monday for the men’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations it will host. The Dec. 21-Jan. 18 tournament will be the biggest soccer event in Morocco before co-hosting the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal — the teams it eliminated at the 2022 World Cup to become the first African nation ever to reach the semifinals.

Morocco has selected nine stadiums in six cities for the Africa Cup of Nations finals starting in December, the country’s local organising committee said on Monday hours before the tournament draw was due to be held.