2025 AFCON, Morocco

[amenina]

Preliminary round draw in about half an hour.

Live video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nuaL1ObSr2U

Draw pots

[amenina]

[Jackson Harrison]

Can they play in Mogadishu and N'Djamena this time?

Last time CAF said stadiums were insufficient!

[Sagy]

Well, there is no better tournament for 12, 24 or 48 teams?

Yes, groups of 6 with top 4 advancing. Each group of 6 is subdivided into two groups of 3. Each team plays 3 games vs teams from the other subgroup. The best team from each subgroup is guaranteed to advance. Same is true for any team that finishes with a win and two draws. Teams that finish with win, draw, and a loss are likely to advance but might not (same as today) a team with 3 draws could advance, but might not (same as today). It is unlikely for a team with two draws and a loss to advance, but it is possible (same as today).

In all cases, results from other groups have no impact on a teams chance to advance. It is also unlikely for a team to lock 1st place after 2 games (basically, the other 4 games in the group had to have ended in a draw)

That format idea isn't such a bad one on the surface but has logistical issues!

What are the logistical issues?

Let’s see if we can address them.

[Jackson Harrison]

Yes, groups of 6 with top 4 advancing. Each group of 6 is subdivided into two groups of 3. Each team plays 3 games vs teams from the other subgroup. The best team from each subgroup is guaranteed to advance. Same is true for any team that finishes with a win and two draws. Teams that finish with win, draw, and a loss are likely to advance but might not (same as today) a team with 3 draws could advance, but might not (same as today). It is unlikely for a team with two draws and a loss to advance, but it is possible (same as today).

In all cases, results from other groups have no impact on a teams chance to advance. It is also unlikely for a team to lock 1st place after 2 games (basically, the other 4 games in the group had to have ended in a draw)

That format idea isn't such a bad one on the surface but has logistical issues!

What are the logistical issues?

Let’s see if we can address them.

More matches needed for a start. Possible collusion.

[Tazmania]

The problem with that format is its comprehension by the public.

NT football is followed much more by people who are more casual football followers and it would be risky to have a format which - while it might be reasonably comprehensible to people who follow football regularly - might confuse those who follow it less frequently.

[amenina]

Can they play in Mogadishu and N'Djamena this time?

Last time CAF said stadiums were insufficient!

No idea, but I suspect many of the matches in this round will be played outside of the home country.

[Sagy]

That format idea isn't such a bad one on the surface but has logistical issues!

What are the logistical issues?

Let’s see if we can address them.

More matches needed for a start. Possible collusion.

No, each team still plays 3 games. So same number of games.

Why do you think that collusions are more likely under this format?

The problem with that format is its comprehension by the public.

NT football is followed much more by people who are more casual football followers and it would be risky to have a format which - while it might be reasonably comprehensible to people who follow football regularly - might confuse those who follow it less frequently.

You are 100% right that comprehension by the public in general is a real issue.

My hope is that with the changes to UEFA competitions (the so called “Swiss system”), over time it will be easier for the general public to comprehend.

I also want to point out that CONCACAF has used a non-balanced schedule in NL last year (a really awful version) and some competitions in Brazil are/were using a system in which teams in a group are playing teams from other group(s) to determine group position. The point I’m trying to make is that is already a low level acceptance to such an idea.

[amenina]

TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 Preliminary Draw conducted

https://www.cafonline.com/caf-africa-cu ... conducted/

Following the successful conclusion to the 34th edition of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations, the preliminary draw for the next edition of the competition set to take place in Morocco was officially conducted at the CAF Headquarters in Cairo, Egypt on Tuesday, 20 February.

A total of 52 nations will be engaged for the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 qualifiers.

For the preliminary stage of the qualifiers, a total of eight (8) lowest ranked nations as per the FIFA Rankings will compete in a home and away knockout format, where the four (4) remaining nations will then be eligible to join the 44 nations that will be engaged in the group stages of the qualifiers.

During this stage of the qualifiers, the four lowest ranked nations will play at home first, with the return leg to be hosted by the higher ranked opposing nation.

Both home and away fixtures of the qualifiers are scheduled to take place in the next FIFA International Break between 20 – 26 March 2024.

TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 Preliminary Draw Results:

M1 & 2 | Somalia vs Eswatini

M3 & 4 | Sao Tome vs South Sudan

M5 & 6 | Chad vs Mauritius

M7 & 8 | Djibouti vs Liberia

*Dates, Venues & Kick-Off Times TBC

CAF will soon announce the official draw of the group stages of the qualifiers upon the conclusion of the preliminary stages.

[Tazmania]

What are the logistical issues?

Let’s see if we can address them.

More matches needed for a start. Possible collusion.

No, each team still plays 3 games. So same number of games.

Why do you think that collusions are more likely under this format?

The problem with that format is its comprehension by the public.

NT football is followed much more by people who are more casual football followers and it would be risky to have a format which - while it might be reasonably comprehensible to people who follow football regularly - might confuse those who follow it less frequently.

You are 100% right that comprehension by the public in general is a real issue.

My hope is that with the changes to UEFA competitions (the so called “Swiss system”), over time it will be easier for the general public to comprehend.

I also want to point out that CONCACAF has used a non-balanced schedule in NL last year (a really awful version) and some competitions in Brazil are/were using a system in which teams in a group are playing teams from other group(s) to determine group position. The point I’m trying to make is that is already a low level acceptance to such an idea.

Yes, over time more and more people will become accustomed to innovative formats which don't feature round-robins, but one of the reasons I think FIFA chose the best 48-team WC format available was because at the moment I don't think the wider public are sufficiently ready for them.

[Sagy]

More matches needed for a start. Possible collusion.

No, each team still plays 3 games. So same number of games.

Why do you think that collusions are more likely under this format?

The problem with that format is its comprehension by the public.

NT football is followed much more by people who are more casual football followers and it would be risky to have a format which - while it might be reasonably comprehensible to people who follow football regularly - might confuse those who follow it less frequently.

You are 100% right that comprehension by the public in general is a real issue.

My hope is that with the changes to UEFA competitions (the so called “Swiss system”), over time it will be easier for the general public to comprehend.

I also want to point out that CONCACAF has used a non-balanced schedule in NL last year (a really awful version) and some competitions in Brazil are/were using a system in which teams in a group are playing teams from other group(s) to determine group position. The point I’m trying to make is that is already a low level acceptance to such an idea.

Yes, over time more and more people will become accustomed to innovative formats which don't feature round-robins, but one of the reasons I think FIFA chose the best 48-team WC format available was because at the moment I don't think the wider public are sufficiently ready for them.

Full agreement.

I glad they realized that the original 16x3 was an awful format. As much as I hate 12x4, it is vastly superior to the 16x3.

[amenina]

Emerse Fae: Ivory Coast appoint Afcon-winning coach on permanent deal

https://www.bbc.com/sport/africa/68347514

Emerse Fae has been appointed as Ivory Coast coach on a permanent deal after leading the Elephants to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations title.

The 40-year-old took over on an interim basis after Jean-Louis Gasset departed during the group stage of the finals, where the West Africans had lost two games including a record 4-0 home defeat by Equatorial Guinea.

But the Ivorians progressed as the last of the four best third-placed teams and Fae oversaw an incredible turnaround for the tournament hosts in the knockout stages.

The Elephants saw off holders Senegal on penalties and then came from behind with 10 men to beat Mali in the quarter-finals after extra-time.

After defeating DR Congo in the last four, Ivory Coast recovered from a goal down to beat Nigeria 2-1 in the final in Abidjan on 11 February and win their third continental title.

Ivorian Football Federation president Idriss Diallo confirmed the appointment on Monday, but did not disclose the length of Fae's contract.

"Emerse was until now interim coach and has just been confirmed as full coach," Diallo said.

On Tuesday, Gasset was confirmed as Marseille's new manager after the French Ligue 1 club sacked Gennaro Gattuso.

Meanwhile, Liberia have appointed former Malawi coach Mario Marinica as their boss on a two-year deal ahead of the start of their 2025 Nations Cup qualifying campaign.

The Lone Stars will face Djibouti in a two-legged preliminary round tie next month.

The winners of the four preliminary ties will join the 44 highest-ranked African sides in the main qualifying draw for the 2025 finals, which will be held in Morocco.

The dates for the 2025 tournament are yet to be announced amid a potential clash with the Fifa Club World Cup in June and July next year.

Africa Cup of Nations 2025 preliminary qualifying round draw

Somalia v Eswatini

Sao Tome and Principe v South Sudan

Chad v Mauritius

Djibouti v Liberia

Two-legged ties to be held between 20 and 26 March.

[dopeisland]

Just finished the model post-draw for qualifiers

[Jackson Harrison]

https://www.afrik-foot.com/en-ng/afcon- ... in-morocco

CAF reveals likely dates for AFCON 2025

On Monday, a member of the CAF competitions committee speaking on condition of anonymity to AFP, said that there was “an agreement in principle between CAF and the Moroccan Football Federation for the AFCON to be held during the summer, more precisely in ‘July and August' 2025.

“This agreement was found with the support of FIFA after talks that began several months ago and which intensified during the last edition which finished this month in Ivory Coast.

“The dates currently proposed are July 20-August 17, 2025,” the source revealed.

The last two editions of the Africa Cup of Nations were both pushed back from the original dates predominantly over weather concerns amidst other factors and were played between January and February of 2022 and 2024 in Cameroon and Ivory Coast respectively.

[amenina]

AFCON 2025 preliminary round - List of approved stadiums: https://www.cafonline.com/media/s5jf0pp ... adiums.pdf

Only two teams, Liberia and Mauritius, will actually play in their home country.