The Uganda Cranes have finally discovered their opponents following the completion of the group stage draw for the 2025 AFCON tournament taking place in Morocco. The draw occurred on Monday, January 27, 2025, in Rabat at the Theatre Mohammed V, where Uganda was drawn into Group C with their East African counterparts, Tanzania.
The group also features some of Africa’s prominent football teams, including Nigeria and Tunisia. Both Nigeria and Tunisia have claimed the AFCON title four times each; the North Africans have done so once, while the West Africans have triumphed three times.
https://twitter.com/UgandaCranes/status/1883961580246950237
This tournament marks the inaugural participation of 24 nations and will be hosted across six cities and nine stadiums in Morocco. This year’s AFCON will be unique in its timing, as it is scheduled to take place from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.
The selected cities include Marrakech, Rabat, Agadir, Casablanca, Tangier, and Fes. The hosts, Morocco, will compete in Group A along with Mali, Comoros, and Zambia, who were the champions in 2012. Egypt, the record holders, is placed in Group B alongside Zimbabwe, Angola, and the 1996 champions, South Africa. In Group F, the Ivory Coast will encounter stiff competition from Gabon, Cameroon, and Mozambique.
The AFCON tournament has occurred 31 times, with Egypt holding the record for the most victories at seven. Following them are Cameroon with five, Ghana with four, and Nigeria and Ivory Coast, each with three titles, while Algeria, DR Congo, Morocco, Zambia, Tunisia, South Africa, Senegal, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Congo Brazzaville have each won once.
During the draw, CAF president Patrice Motsepe extended his gratitude to King Mohammed VI of Morocco and all stakeholders involved in this process.
“I sincerely thank King Mohammed VI, the 54 member states of CAF, and the Moroccan Government. This demonstrates football’s unifying power. African football is on the rise. The continent’s premier competition will take place in Morocco this December,” he stated.
Uganda was represented by FIFA president Eng Moses Magogo, head coach Joseph Paul Put, and National Teams Officer Paul Mutakabala.
In response to the draw, Paul Put expressed that the group presents challenges due to the formidable strength of the opponents. However, he emphasized the importance of believing in their potential to advance and stated their intention to use this experience as a stepping stone for the 2027 AFCON, which will be jointly hosted by the original three East African countries.
Coach Paul Put's reaction after the draws. #TotalEnergiesAFCON2025 pic.twitter.com/Zn1ym8vEL5
— Uganda Cranes (@UgandaCranes) January 27, 2025The complete group stages following the draw are as follows:
Group A: Morocco, Mali, Zambia, Comoros
Group B: Egypt, South Africa, Angola, Zimbabwe
Group C: Nigeria, Tunisia, Uganda, Tanzania
Group D: Senegal, DR Congo, Benin, Botswana
Group E: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Sudan
Group F: Cote D’Ivoire, Cameroon, Gabon, Mozambique
https://twitter.com/CAF_Online/status/1883962863397790091
