CAN 2023: all you need to know about the draw for the playoffs scheduled for this Tuesday
The president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Patrice Motsepe during the draw for CAN 2021, in August 2021. © AFP / Daniel Beloumou Olomo
Text by: Tom Rossi Follow
2 mins
The draw for the second round of qualifying for the 2023 African Cup of Nations in Côte d'Ivoire will take place this Tuesday, April 19 in South Africa.
The 48 African selections involved will be divided into 12 groups of four.
But there could be one or two pools of three because of Kenya and Zimbabwe's suspensions.
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This Tuesday, African football (
except for six countries eliminated in the first round
) will have its eyes riveted on the studios of the SuperSport channel in Johannesburg.
It is in South Africa's largest city that the draw for the second qualifying round for the
2023 African Cup of Nations
in Côte d'Ivoire (June 23-July 23) will take place.
The 48 selections involved will be divided into four pots according to the latest FIFA ranking established on March 31.
Thus, it is impossible to have the best African teams such as
Senegal
, Morocco, Nigeria, Egypt, Cameroon or
DR Congo
in the same group.
The composition of the hats for the CAN 2023 draw. © @_coelacanthes
The selections will be drawn by Ivorian Salomon Kalou and South African Lucas Radebe to be placed in 12 groups of four.
The first two of each pool will get their ticket for the CAN in the land of the Elephants.
Côte d'Ivoire, which is also automatically qualified as a host country, but nevertheless participates in these qualifications.
As a result, only one other team in their group will get their ticket.
Possible groups of three
If everything seems clear, a constraint slightly complicates this draw:
the suspensions of Kenya and Zimbabwe by FIFA
, on February 24, for political interference.
Respectively placed in hats 2 and 3, these two selections “
will also be included in the draw despite the temporary bans
”, indicates the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
On the other hand, if their suspension is not lifted two weeks before the first day of the playoffs in June, they "
will be considered as losers and eliminated from the competition
".
If so, their groups will be made up of three teams, with two tickets to Côte d'Ivoire still up for grabs.
To avoid possibly ending up with a group of two teams, “
Kenya and Zimbabwe cannot be drawn in the same group
”, adds CAF.
While waiting for the draw scheduled for this Tuesday from 5:30 p.m. universal time, here are some proposals for more or less raised or balanced hens:
Senegal, Guinea, Gambia, Sudan
DR Congo, Gabon, Comoros, Central African Republic
Mali, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Tanzania.
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