Hosts Morocco and defending champions Ivory Coast are expected to be among the top seeds when the draw for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations takes place in Rabat on January 27th.
A CAF official, speaking on condition of anonymity, indicated that the latest FIFA world rankings will likely determine the seeding for the tournament.
With the next FIFA rankings update scheduled for April 3rd, the December rankings will be used for the AFCON draw.
The 24 participating teams will be divided into six groups of four, with the winners and runners-up from each group advancing to the knockout stage, along with the four best third-placed teams.
Originally slated for mid-2025, the tournament has been rescheduled to take place from December 21st to January 18th to avoid a clash with the revamped FIFA Club World Cup.
This will be the first time the biennial AFCON will span two calendar years.
Morocco previously hosted the AFCON in 1988, while Ivory Coast emerged victorious in the last edition, defeating Nigeria in the final.
