The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has released the date for the 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers draw. According to the communication from the football governing body in Africa, the draw will be held next month, July 4 in South Africa.
The dates for the 2025 Afcon finals are yet to be announced by the Confederation of African Football (Caf).
Caf had previously committed to stage its flagship men’s tournament at the end of the European club season, in a June-July slot, but those dates next year will clash with Fifa’s inaugural 32-team Club World Cup.
Earlier this month Caf Secretary General Veron Mosengo-Omba told BBC Sport Africa that scheduling is “a nightmare” and admitted that the 2025 finals could potentially be played in early 2026.
“We need to make sure that the dates that we’ll be choosing will be in the interests of the players,” said the Swiss-Congolese, highlighting issues around the workload of the continent’s elite players.
Next season’s edition of the AFCON will be played in Morocco. Headlining the confirmed Nations for the draw are reigning African champions Cote d’Ivoire joined by Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, DR Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini and Ethiopia.
Others include Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
AFCON qualification only way for Mabedi to beat target
Patrick Mabedi and his boys will be eagerly waiting for the draw of the prestigious tournament and know their opponents in group stages which are expected to start in September this year. After a good time during his caretaking tenure, Mabedi is failing to resemble the results since being roped in as a permanent coach.
The former Kaizer Chiefs defender signed a two-year contract last November with the Football Association of Malawi after impressing the bosses with semi-final achievement at the 2023 Cosafa Cup but targets were injected into his contract to ensure smooth progress of the team’s development.
The past regime of FAM tasked Mabedi to win the 2024 Cosafa Cup, a target which was scrapped by the current regime led by Fleetwood Haiya who decided to send Under 23 to the tournament citing it a developmental tournament and Kalisto Pasuwa was expected to lead the team before the Association announced the pulling out.
FAM tasked Mabedi to record six wins in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers and finish at least second in the group stages but after playing four games, Malawi have recorded two wins, beating Liberia and Sao Tome and Principe but they lost 1-0 to Tunisia and Equatorial Guinea.
Mabedi will be looking to start the AFCON qualifiers on a high note as another route to escape FAM’s anger as he was tasked to take the team back to the finals of the tournament, Morocco.
Following the dismal performance of the team recently, Mabedi who gets about MK150 Million annually risk facing a 10% pay cut according to Malawi News as it was in his contract. Malawi failed to make an instant return to the AFCON finals last edition. They qualified for the finals of the tournament in 2021 under Meke Mwase.
