Ivory Coast to Defend Title as Africa Cup of Nations 2025 Tournament Draw Takes Place

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is set to begin with Ivory Coast facing Mozambique as they look to defend their championship title, which they won on home turf last year. The opening match for the host nation, Morocco, will be against the Comoros Islands in Rabat on December 21, 2025.

Ivory Coast is placed in Group F, alongside Cameroon, a five-time tournament winner, Gabon, and Mozambique, with their match against Mozambique scheduled for December 24 in Marrakesh. The draw, held in Rabat, organized the teams into groups, about 11 months prior to the start of the tournament.

Morocco, the hosts, is the top seed in Group A, where they will compete against Mali and Zambia. Meanwhile, Group B sees a classic matchup between Egypt and South Africa, reviving a rivalry that dates back to 1996.

Algeria, having faced early exits in the previous two tournaments, appears to be in a more advantageous position in Group E, which includes Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, and Sudan. The competition features 24 teams organized into six initial groups, with the top two teams from each group and the four best third-placed teams advancing to the knockout stage. The tournament will take place across six cities in Morocco from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.