Morocco, the host country and one of the big favorites, heads Group A, which also includes Mali, Zambia and Comoros. Mozambique will be part of Group F, with Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Gabon.
The football tournament, scheduled to take place between December 21 this year and January 18 next year, will see the first round of Group B feature a clash between Egypt, another favorite to win the trophy, and South Africa, while the ' Palancas' start with Zimbabwe.
Mozambique, the other Portuguese-speaking team present, will start against Gabon, with Group F having, right from the start, the first big clash of the tournament, pitting defending champions Ivory Coast against five-time champions Cameroon. from Africa.
The 'Atlas Lions', hosts of the tournament, will be in the opening game, on December 21, in Rabat, against Comoros. The other first round game in Group A will pit Mali against Zambia.
The top two teams from each of the six groups and the four best third-placed teams qualify for the round of 16.
The tournament, which brings together 24 teams, is seen as a 'test' for the organizational capacity of Morocco, which will organize the 2030 World Cup together with Spain and Portugal.
Composition of the six groups:
A - Morocco, Mali, Zambia, Comoros.
B - Egypt, South Africa, Angola, Zimbabwe.
C - Nigeria, Tunisia, Uganda, Tanzania.
D - Senegal, DR Congo, Benin, Botswana.
E - Algeria, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Sudan.
F - Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Gabon, Mozambique.
