AFCON 2019 Draw pitted several former champions against one another

The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying draw held in Libreville Thursday pitted Nigeria against South Africa in group E while Tunisia and Egypt were drawn in group J.

The other countries to join Nigeria and South in group E are Libya and the Seychelles while Niger and Swaziland join Egypt and Tunisia in group J.

Both Nigeria and South Africa failed to reach the 2017 Cup of Nations tournament, which kicks off in Gabon Saturday with a fixture between the host country and Guinea-Bissau. Nigeria lost out to Egypt after taking only one point from the two matches between countries who have won 10 of the previous 30 competitions. South Africa held eventual group winners Cameroon twice, but finished an embarrassing third after losing and drawing against minnows Mauritania.

One easily noticeable feature about the AFCON 2019 qualifying draw is that it pitted several former champions against one another. It will be the best of best round of 24 if all former champions qualify from their respective groups.

Cameroon, who qualify automatically as hosts, are in Group B alongside 1976 champions Morocco, Malawi and either Comoros or Mauritius.

Record seven-time winners Egypt will meet North African rivals Tunisia, who won in 2004, in Group J.

Meanwhile, two-time winners Nigeria will face 1996 Nations Cup winners South Africa in Group E.

Group G also features a clash between Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo, with both sides having previously lifted the trophy.

In addition to hosts Cameroon, the 12 group winners will qualify alongside the the three best runners-up.

Should the Indomitable Lions top their group, the second-placed side in Group B will contest the finals.

The group stage of qualifying starts in June and concludes in November 2018.


Draw in full:


A: Senegal, Equatorial Guinea, Sudan, Sao Tome/Madagascar


B: Cameroon, Morocco, Malawi, Comoros/Mauritius


C: Mali, Gabon, Burundi, Djibouti/South Sudan


D: Algeria, Togo, Benin, The Gambia


E: Nigeria, South Africa, Libya, Seychelles


F: Ghana, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Kenya


G: DR Congo, Congo, Zimbabwe, Liberia


H: Ivory Coast, Guinea, Central African Republic, Rwanda


I: Burkina Faso, Angola, Botswana, Mauritania


J: Tunisia, Egypt, Niger, Swaziland


K: Zambia, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia


L: Cape Verde, Uganda, Tanzania, Lesotho