Soccer
Gabon to host 2017 AFCON─── 16:59 Wed, 08 Apr 2015
The Confederation of Africa Football has named Gabon as the host national for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.
The announcement was name in Cairo this afternoon, ahead of the qualifying draw for the 31st edition of the tournament.
Gabon beat off Algeria and Ghana for the rights to host the tournament.
South Africa has been drawn in a tricky group to qualify for the continental football showpiece.
Meanwhile, Bafana Bafana are in Group M of the 52 nation draw alongside Cameroon, Gambia and Mauritania.
The 2015 and defending AFCON champions, the Ivory coast are in Group I with hosts Gabon, Sierra Leone and Sudan.
Nigeria will face Chad, Egypt and Tanzania in Group G, while Lesotho are in Group J with Algeria, Ethiopia and the Seychelles.
The first round on qualifiers takes place between 8 and 16 June.
2017 AFCON qualifying draw
Group A - Djibouti, Liberia, Togo, Tunisia
Group B - Angola, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar
Group C - Benin, Equatorial Guinea, Mali, South Sudan
Group D - Botswana, Burkina Faso, Comoros, Uganda
Group E - Congo, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Zambia
Group F - Cape Verde, Libya, Morocco, Sao Tome
Group G - Chad, Egypt, Nigeria, Tanzania
Group H - Ghana, Mauritania, Mozambique, Rwanda
Group I - Gabon, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Sudan
Group J - Algeria, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Seychelles
Group K - Burundi, Namibia, Niger, Senegal
Group L - Guinea, Malawi, Swaziland, Zimbabwe
Group M - Cameroon, Gambia, Mauritius, South Africa.
Morgan Piek / OFM News
