CAF includes Ivory Coast, Kenya and Zimbabwe in the draw

The Confederation of African Football (CAF), has integrated, Côte d’Ivoire, host country of the African Cup of Nations (CAN 2023), Kenya and Zimbabwe, suspended from all football-related activity by FIFA, in the draw for the qualifiers for the African competition.

The draw for the 2022 African Cup of Nations will take place in South Africa on Tuesday, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced. The draw is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. GMT (7:30 p.m. local time).

”Côte d’Ivoire, the host country, will also participate in the draw, although they are automatically qualified. Therefore, only one other team from their group will get their ticket to the final tournament”, indicates CAF in a press release published on its official website.

“Kenya and Zimbabwe, countries suspended by FIFA from all football-related activity, will also be included in the draw despite temporary bans”adds the same source.

“However, if the suspension is not lifted two weeks before their first day of playoffs, both associations will be deemed losers and eliminated from the competition.the statement said.

CAF notes that “Their groups will then consist of three teams, and the teams that come first and second will qualify for the final tournament.”.

”Given this situation, Kenya and Zimbabwe cannot be drawn in the same group in order to avoid having a group with only two teams in case the suspension of both associations is still in progress.”, continues the CAF, in its press release.

The 48 countries qualified for this second round of the qualifiers will be accommodated in four pots on the basis of the official FIFA ranking published on March 31, 2022.

The teams will then be divided into 12 groups of four teams (Group A to L). The two best teams of each group qualifying for the tournament scheduled in Côte d’Ivoire.

During the draw which will be carried out by CAF competition director Samson Adamu, with the participation of legends Lucas Radebe (South Africa) and Salomon Kalou (Côte d’Ivoire), the first ball will be drawn from pot 4 and will go to position A4.

The procedure will be repeated for the remaining teams from Pot 4 who will go to positions B4, C4, D4, E4, F4, G4, H4, I4, J4, K4 & L4, according to the order of the draw.

The same procedure above will be repeated for Pot 3, Pot 2 and finally Pot 1. Since the preliminary rounds have already been played in March, all that remains is to set up the groups for the playoffs of the final phase of this African Cup of Nations, scheduled for Côte d’Ivoire in June.