AWCON 2025: Nigeria, Morocco, South Africa named top seeds
…draw to hold Friday in Morocco
By Tosin Omojola
The Super Falcons of Nigeria, hosts Atlas Lionesses of Morocco, and Banyana Banyana of South Africa have been announced as the top seeds for the 13th Women’s African Nations Cup (AWCON) finals, scheduled to take place in Morocco next year.
The draw for the tournament will be held on Friday, November 22, 2024, at the Mohammed VI Technical Centre in Salé, Morocco. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) released details of the draw procedure on Thursday, highlighting the tournament’s structure and seeding criteria.
Qualified Teams and Seeding
The championship will feature 12 of Africa’s top women’s football teams, divided into three groups of four. According to FIFA rankings, the teams are seeded into four levels:
Level 1: Morocco (hosts), Nigeria, South Africa
Level 2: Zambia, Ghana, Tunisia
Level 3: Mali, Senegal, Algeria
Level 4: DR Congo, Tanzania, Botswana
As the host nation, Morocco will automatically take position A1 in Group A, while defending champions South Africa will occupy position C1 in Group C. Nigeria, as the third top seed, will be placed in position B1 in Group B.
Draw Procedures
CAF has outlined a detailed draw methodology to ensure balanced groupings:
Pot C (Level 4):
The first ball drawn will go to Group A, position A4.
The second ball will go to Group B, position B4.
The third ball will go to Group C, position C4.
Pot B (Level 3):
The first ball drawn will go to Group A, position A3.
The second ball will go to Group B, position B3.
The third ball will go to Group C, position C3.
Pot A (Level 2):
The first ball drawn will go to Group A, position A2.
The second ball will go to Group B, position B2.
The third ball will go to Group C, position C2.
This systematic process ensures fairness in team placement and promises an exciting competition from the group stage.
The 13th edition of the CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations will take place from July 5 to July 26, 2025, in Morocco.
South Africa, the defending champions, will look to replicate their historic victory from two years ago when they claimed their first continental title in Morocco. With fierce competition expected, AWCON 2025 is set to be a showcase of Africa’s finest in women’s football.
